Devil's Sins
by greenkitsune
Summary: Vergil is tortured in hell as a traitor by Mundus after his defeat on Mallet, escaping with the help of a fellow prisoner. However, he must face the family he shunned, his own demons and a new enemy rising from the depths. Rated M for darker, adult themes
1. Chapter 1

**_I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the characters, stories, plots, locations, etc. thereof. I do not own Henley's Poem "Invictus" or any of lines within it. _**

**_Enjoy. RR.  
_**

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He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. Her gloved right hand holding a smoldering cigarette jostled at every bump. A think cloud of smoke floated around her red hair, a darkened halo. Dark glasses hid her eyes, and he wondered briefly what she was thinking; it was hard to tell sometimes. His eyes returned to the road. She was probably reminiscing, thinking about a darkened time she would always want to forget but never would. He also tried to forget, but he would remember and see her there in that darkened place. His mind wandered back to it: pain, blood, and hopelessness. Their sins always in front of them in the darkness.

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He licked the jagged stone wall where condensation had formed. The moisture burned like acid, searing his throat and doing nothing to quench the thirst that burned inside of him since first day of his punishment. Days, years, months, blended together. His time was marked by the next torture, the next beating, the next violent attack. They resorted only to physical pain. His death, his betrayal, had freed him and they could no longer reach him. He accepted his torture. He deserved it, he wanted it, the world was safe because of him. His brother was safe because he let him kill him. The shining moment when Mundus fell away in a flash of red, and he saw his brother's sword falling towards him.

He let the blade strike him.

Dead, yet not completely. After he felt his heart stop, he saw light in front of him, darkness behind him before he was swiftly dragged into the depths of hell where the living remained in constant stasis. The hunger tore apart your insides, the thirst weakened you until you could barely cry through parched lips, but you never died.

The demons would flay his skin with whips, claws, and scythes as he stared steadily ahead. They would drown him, burn him, break his bones, barrage his ears, nose, and eyes with the most horrible sensations but he never gave in, never repented. He was a traitor, and their torture was out of spite. After a while, they knew they could not break him, but they could unleash their wrath upon him and revel in his pathetic lack of power.

But they would never have him.

He coughed up the water, spittle running down his chin. He wiped it away with a hand stained brown with blood and dirt and any number of other foul substances. His eyes wandered to the hallway just beyond the rusted bars of his cell, then to the cell next to him. It had been empty for a while. They had let the demon who spoke against Mundus expire some time ago. There was no room for dissention. Even after his defeat, Mundus remained a powerful figure with many demons scrambling to do his bidding. Vergil had been placed in the custody of a fairly powerful demon with a grudge against Sparda's swift rise to the top of the demon hierarchy.

He adjusted the shackles around his wrists. They had to be tightened as his form became more emaciated. Leaning back against the wall, he let his eyes close, and the image of his brother appeared in his mind. He smiled as he thought of the word…_traitor_.

The slamming of a door and shrill pleas awoke him from his reverie.

A group of giggling, vaguely humanoid demons dragged a figure in front of his cell and threw it into the empty cell next to him. Through half-closed eyes he watched the demons with their jaws full of crooked teeth snapping, claws reaching, and bulging black eyes turned up in malicious mirth prod and poke the figure curled in the fetal position at their feet. One arm feebly fought off the demons as the other guarded its face, a shock of red hair visible between the crook of its arm. By the thin arm and long fingers he could make out in the dim light, he judged the figure to be a woman. Following the group of demons, the lord of the prison in which he was imprisoned entered the cell. His power was barely contained within the form of a middle-aged man dressed gaudily in velvet.

He remembered how this demon would have never posed a threat. How he could slice him apart and watch the blood drain out, but his weak body had no motive to attack. Shame filled his heart.

The demons scattered as their master entered. He kicked the female at his feet. She lifted her head, eyes pleading.

"Who are you? Where am I? What do you want?" she shouted, unable to move in any direction because of the circling demons. He watched her between their quickly moving legs.

The demon standing above her smiled, "You're in hell my dear."

Her forehead wrinkled and her chest began to heave as she looked around. Her eyes widened upon seeing the demons, as if she had noticed them for the first time.

"But…hell doesn't exist," she murmured.

The demon leaned down and gripped her chin tightly with his blackened fingers.

"Of course it does my dear. You're in it." His voice dropped low, sickly sweet in mock comfort. "You're going to be its newest member. The best demons are always broken humans."

He let go, "And the best torturers are always the pious ones. They understand guilt."

The demon reached a hand into his robe and withdrew a whip of black leather, the tassels ending in sharp steel spikes shaped like claws.

He fingered one of the steel claws, "You will suffer. You will starve and thirst. You will feel pain. But you will never die. There is no hope, you will never escape."

Her face muscles trembled at the sight of the whip. She buried her face in her hands as the demon smiled.

"Make it easy. Give in now. Swear yourself to me, and I will let you go. Submit. Surrender. Give me your soul."

He tilted his head to get a better look around the demons. He waited for her trembling pleas of submission. Leaning forward slightly, he saw through the bars that her face was still buried. A low murmur came from her muffled hands.

The demon leaned forward, "What was that?"

"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." She looked up, her lip trembling.

The demon sighed and let the claws of the whip fall to floor. They clicked against the stone, tinkling lightly against each other as ironic wind chimes.

His eyes darkened under his thick brow, "You have no idea what pain I will cause." He leaned down to whisper in her ear. Her eyes widened.

He leaned back and smiled, "How do you live with yourself?"

The whip came down, she screamed. He looked away, rolled over onto his side, and closed his eyes. He heard the whip enter into her flesh again and again, tearing away skin and muscle until all that was left was a bloody mess of tissue. She stopped screaming after a while, and he fell asleep.

The slamming of the prison door awoke him from his slumber. He rolled over, shackles clinking, and glanced at the woman. She lie on her stomach, her back a mess of red and black. She trembled occasionally, her breath labored as the lungs expanding pulled on the torn flesh.

"Why am I not dead? Or…am I dead already?" she asked, face pressed to the stone floor. Her voice was raspy from her screams.

"You only die if they want you to. No, you aren't dead. There's a part for the souls and their punishers and a part for everything else," he responded, resting her back against the stone wall.

"How can they make me into a demon?"

"It's not as difficult as you may think. People become demons all the time."

"I'll be like them?"

"It's hard to say. The last time they had one, a priest, he gave in as soon at it was offered. Seeing hell shook his faith."

"I won't give in."

He laughed, skeptical of her resignation. His laughter fell dully on the floor as if the walls, unused to the sound, intentionally muffled it.

"They'll find something. Humans are weak."

"God forgives."

"You can keep telling yourself that. I wouldn't know about forgiveness."

She placed her arms beneath her, palms flat on the ground, and attempted to push herself up. She grunted and fell back into the puddle of her own blood, her muscles trembling with pain. He watched from the corner of his eye, but remained silent. She would learn eventually.

"Why is this happening to me?" Her voice was barely audible as she spoke to the blood soaked ground.

"God only knows." He jiggled the shackle around his ankle that was pinching.

"What's your name?" she asked.

He snorted, "It doesn't really matter. You'll be dead or a demon soon any way. I can't help you."

She lifted her head as far as it would go and stared at him.

"You're not a demon?"

"I already am one," he said, staring at the bars ahead of him.

Her brow wrinkled, "You don't look like one." He smiled.

"Half-demon," he said.

"Why are you down here?"

He looked at her. Her face was streaked with blood and dirt. Green eyes were murky beneath tears of pain and stress, but her eyes were hard, dark as they stared. A part of him wondered if she were deserving of this. They were stubborn eyes, not the eyes of the god-fearing faithful. Obstinate and proud. She would learn that the whip was just the start. Like a thorn in her side, minimal. She will look back with fondness at the biting claws and the torn flesh of her back.

"I'm being punished," he said. _Like you_, he thought.

She paused for a moment before she asked again "What's your name?"

"Vergil."

"Like the pagan. He led Dante through the underworld." Her corners of her mouth could barely hold their grin. "It's kind of an ironic name."

"You like poetry?"

"I love it. It was my major," she grunted.

"What you told the demon. It was Henley wasn't it?"

"_Invictus_," she said and rested her head. After a pause she said, "My name is Evangeline."

He stared at her for a moment. "What did you do?" he asked.

There was silence. He could not tell if she was unwilling to answer or merely fainted.

Heavy steps echoed through the prison chamber. A female demon in leather stood before Vergil. Her almond eyes bugged in anticipation. In her hand, she carried a chain and a small knife.

"Ready, Vergil?" she said, twirling the chain.

He leaned back, waiting for the pain to begin.

_Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul. _

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**Let me know what you think.**  
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	2. Chapter 2

_**I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the characters, stories, plots there of. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I would appreciate some feedback to let me know if I should keep going. **_

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Evangeline stared at Vergil, watching him adjust his position over and over again. His arms and legs were covered with vicious red welts of acid burns. The blisters had already hardened over, forming scabs. He would lean against his arm and cringe, unable to find comfort with his wounds. She was amazed at how quickly he healed after every torture and with no scars. He was filthy; his cheeks were hollow, his light hair was brown with blood, but his blue eyes always remained bright.

Defiant.

During every one of her tortures they would be careful not to take it too far, not to damage her more. Afterwards, they would send the same old crone with her long yellowed fingernails and wart covered face. She would silently spread salve on Evangeline's wounds and wrap them in dirty gauze before leaving. They would let her heal before the next round of pain. She had been burned and stabbed, had needles placed under her nails, drowned in water to the panic point, and even hung her until it felt as if her neck would break.

Even when they halted the torture, the pain of her emaciated body always continued. They would leave her for days so she could experience every sensation of a body dying from starvation but would always remain alive. The pain in her stomach was intense as her body always ached for food that it could never find. They had laughed as they watched her desperately try to eat the bread that crumbled into dust as she raised it to her lips. She even desperately lapped up her own blood from the stone floor to quench her parched throat. She shuddered remembering the humiliating moment.

But the worse was the worm. They forced her to swallow the file insect when it was only an inch long then watched as it grew, forcing its way through muscle and sinew, wrapping itself around organs. She could feel it move in her body and prevented her from ever sleeping. As disturbing as the sensation was, the pain of when they pulled it out nearly made her give in. They cut a small slit in her abdomen and grabbed the head of the worm then pulled it out slowly inch by inch. With every tug she cried out until finally she collapsed.

And then they would say to her, "Give up."

But she never did.

When they were gone, he would speak to her.

"I was under his control and fought against my brother," Vergil said.

"He won?"

"I let him win. And I ended up here because of it," he said firmly.

She stared at him through the bars. They always made sure to be separate lest a demon should wander down and become suspicious. Misery loved company, and there was an odd comfort in knowing the pain another was experiencing.

He sometimes hated the way she stared. It was unnerving in a way that no gaze had ever been. Her cheek bones were high and stood out sharply on her face giving the impression of an exaggerated cat caricature, and her nose was small and pointed. Her jaw was square and strong, adding to the overall intensity of her face. After spending time staring at her, he realized that with her wild mass of red hair she looked like a demon.

"That's a ridiculous story," she said.

"I believe you asked for it."

"Why would you strand yourself in hell? Weren't you powerful enough? You are half-demon after all."

Vergil narrowed his eyes. She looked away.

"I couldn't protect my mother," he said softly. She only stared at her hands before crawling over to the rock wall where she dislodged a stone to reveal a small brown book. She had hidden it there after her first whipping when the demons left her to bleed.

"Should I read something again?" she asked.

"I still find it baffling that the one thing you managed to smuggle into hell was a book that is utterly useless."

She smiled, "It's never useless."

She thumbed through a few pages. He noted how her collarbone protruded from the rags that were once her shirt. She had been thin and shapeless before she was dragged into hell, and her imprisonment only served to make her skeletal.

"Are you angry at your brother?" she asked still staring at the pages of her book.

He put too much pressure on his leg and winced, "No and yes. I'm only angry he was always so powerful."

"You used to be powerful."

Her words felt like a slap to the face.

"You lack any kind of subtlety," he snapped. Her eyes wondered back to him.

"Subtlety is for cowards."

He fell silent, wishing he could strike her. Their conversations usually ended with one of them ignoring the other in their indignation. He told her about his life, and she told him about her faith. "It's a cult," she had said and every female was a priestess. They didn't believe in hell and didn't praise the deity which created everything. Instead they worshipped Maru, the first, whose symbol was blood and who always forgave. Everyone was inherently sinful and no life or doctrine could lead you out of it. He thought it was an odd faith. _But there is always something you leave out_, he thought.

"The physical torture will end," he finally said. "What they have in store for you is much worse. All of your deepest sins."

She raised an eyebrow, "So what?"

"So what did you do that was so terrible?"

She glowered and her eyes narrowed into slits.

He smiled.

"What could a human possibly do that is so shameful," he mocked. "Did you cheat on your lover, or abandon your family. Kill a man?"

"Shut the hell up, you pathetic excuse for a demon! You're just simpering in your brother's shadow."

He forced a laugh but inside he was seething. She stormed off to the farthest corner of her cell and stared at the book with such intensity he thought her eyes might burn holes through the pages.

His smile faltered and he wondered why he said it. He hated the silence. _Pathetic human_, he thought. But after several minutes of silence, he wanted to call out her name. It was then that the door opened. She quickly hid the book and placed the stone in front of it. The female demon in leather entered and opened Evangeline's cell.

"We're done playing games," she said. "There's a special place in hell just for you and I guarantee it will break you."

Evangeline started causing the demoness to smile.

"He didn't even have a chance. I can't even imagine the pain his soul is going through," the demoness said and grabbed Evangeline's thin arm. "I bet he would just love to see you."

Evangeline wriggled to try to break her grasp as if she knew what was in store for her. "No, no, no!"

Vergil kept his face stoic. His mind flickered back to the dark chamber where every guilt played out before him. His soul stood naked as every secret he wanted to keep was revealed to the taunts of demons. Where the image of the dead and those he had sinned against tortured him with their pleas and accusations. His mother was there. She had asked why he didn't save her.

The demoness stopped in front of his cell.

"Always a cold-hearted bastard. Right, Vergil?" she said. Evangeline's wide eyes stared right at him, pleading.

He did nothing.

_I'm weak_.

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Vergil kept his eyes closed, but stayed awake waiting for her to return. Eventually he heard the door open, the sound of a dragging body and laughter, the slamming of the cell, and low sobs. When he heard the prison door slam again, he opened his eyes. The cells were dimly lit, the periodic light having fled them, but he could make out her shape curled up on the floor. She was muttering words between sobs.

"Evangeline?"

Her body rocked back and forth, "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. It was your fault. Oh, god!"

She fell into a fit of tears that racked her small frame. Green eyes stared wildly around her. Vergil crawled over the bars between their cells, chains clanking. She was only a few feet away.

"Evangeline!"

Her eyes stopped on him. Guilt poured out of them and seemed to fill the world around her.

"I did it. I wanted to! I killed him," she whispered. She tore at her hair and began to scream. He reached out a hand to try and touch her, but she was too far away and the shackles stopped him.

_I'm so weak, _he thought.

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_**Please review. **_


	3. Chapter 3

_**I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the stories, characters, plots, setting, etc there of. I also do not own any of the lines or phrases from Henley's poem "Invictus"**_

_**Thank you to all who reviewed and read. I hope to get more feedback. **_

_**Please enjoy.  
**_

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He saw his mother. Her back was against the door in a feeble attempt to hold back the demons with only her human strength. Her blonde hair was matted with blood on the right side and it dripped into her eye. Her face was contorted into a mask of terror, eyes bulging and her mouth opened in a scream to her two young boys climbing out the window. He and Dante moved slowly under the burden of the swords given to them to flee with. He was the last one out the window and the final image of his mother was her screaming as the demons began to break through the wooden door. As he grew up, this final of image of his mother became distorted. She became taller, stronger, and glowing brilliantly as she stood against the demon hordes. An amazon, a goddess standing bravely against evil to protect her children.

With age comes a new perspective. If she were powerful, she would still be alive. She was terrified when she died, for her own life and the lives of her sons. She could never overcome the insurmountable obstacles bearing down upon her with scythes and claws drawn. She was weak. It seemed like an insult to imagine her differently. It took away from the enormity of her action in knowing she would die but standing against it nonetheless. Maybe that's why as a child he imagined her so differently; it seemed like such an impossible task for such a frail human.

Dante didn't see it happen. He didn't understand that if she had been like father, she would have lived. To protect, you needed power. He didn't want to be like his father; he wanted to be like his imagined mother. After years of dreaming about her in hell, he understood how far he had strayed. The beautiful image of the warrior goddess came from one shining instance when she had died to protect them. It wasn't power but sacrifice.

_I've failed_.

In his dream his mother screamed and he awoke. The skin on the arm and side he had been lying on was throbbing. The acid wounds had only healed into tender new skin. Evangeline was silent. Her back was turned to him as she leaned her head against the stone wall. On her back, the thick gashes and welts from the whips were healing into a mass of scars now that the demons had neglected their physical torture, opting instead to watch her mind dissolve with the burden of guilt.

It had been what he assumed days since she had last spoken to him. For a while after she returned she would mutter to herself, sob, and occasionally cry out in a desperate wail that sounded as if an animal were dying. He caught only a few snippets of what she was saying, gathering only that she had killed a man and that it was his fault. He had tried to reach out, tried to talk to her without the faintest idea why. She was doomed and he knew it. He had turned his back on her, but couldn't help but to cover his ears whenever he heard her crying. He couldn't stop her, and it made him feel helpless.

It was during their days of silence that his tortures had been stayed. No demons had entered the prison to inflict their torment. Then he felt something he had been without for a very long time.

Yamato.

Somewhere the sword was used and power radiated from it. Its waves hitting him giving him feelings of both elation and despair as he realized it was out of reach. At times he thought he could just reach out and touch it. Then as suddenly as it appeared it was gone, but the ache still lingered in his bones.

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For days she had been silent, but like an echo, her cries still bombarded his memory. He sat up and tried not to stare.

"Maybe I should give in," she said. The return of her voice sliced through the air like an arrow despite the softness of her voice. Her back was still towards him.

"It would be easier," he said.

She turned slowly and began crawling towards him. She looked up.

Her eyes were bloodshot and circles so dark they were nearly black had formed around them. He started when he saw them then quickly moved closer to see if he was mistaken. Just beneath the white surface of her eyes a brown fog had formed. It shifted and disappeared, remaining for only a few seconds at a time.

He had seen this before; the same pattern had formed on Arkham as well. It was the beginning of the shift towards becoming a demon. She was losing. Before he had even thought of what he was doing, his hand reached between the bars and grabbed hers. Her fingers felt like twigs and seemed so small within his hand. It was the first time they had ever touched during their long imprisonment.

For a moment she forgot her own sorrow and her forehead wrinkled in bewilderment. Her eyes glared at him with the eternal question of, _What the hell are you doing?_ Lost in his own confusion he continued to grasp her hand.

"You're turning into a demon. You can't give in," he said after what seemed like hours.

The confusion and indignation in her face was quickly replaced with the sorrowful mask she had worn before as she remembered.

"I'm a monster," she spat and attempted to pull her hand away only to be thwarted by his greater strength.

"What happened to god forgives?"

Her lip curled in a sneer, "I was a part of a ridiculous cult, remember. Besides that it was wrong. Hell does exist. I don't know what god does. It's better to be monster and not feel it any more."

Her arm was fully extended as she continued to struggle in his grasp.

"It won't go away," he said. She stopped struggling. "You never stop being human no matter how hard you try to be a demon. The guilt stays."

She brought her face close. He could smell the rank air that surrounded her as he was sure surrounded him as well.

"I killed my brother, my twin," she said. "They have this story in my religion, that if someone sacrifices another that they love that all the evil will end. No more souls in agony. He asked me to kill him. He wanted to die to save the world. So I did it."

Tears wavered at the edge of her eyes but did not fall. "I didn't do it to save the world. I wanted to kill him to get rid of him. I was so angry at him. He was so good and everyone loved him. I did everything for him."

Her arm finally relaxed, but she clenched her jaw.

"I could never say no to him," she said between clenched teeth. "I didn't want to do it. I knew it was wrong." Her eyes began to stare off into the distance as if watching herself do the crime all over again.

"But I did it any way. I did it and I was happy to get rid of him. Then he was gone, and I never felt so alone. He was my best friend," her eyes wandered back to Vergil's. "Everyone thought he did something so brave, but I knew he was in agony. Because I killed him out of anger not out of religious devotion and not because he wanted me to. Sometimes I think he knew just when he was about to die. When my hands squeezed just a little harder…I think he knew it was out of spite. Now he's suffering. I didn't tell anyone what I was thinking when I killed him."

"I thought you didn't believe in hell," Vergil said.

"I didn't. But when you die like that, when the ritual is wrong. You have to go some place much worse than hell. If demons had a hell, that's where he would be. A place of pure blackness. Without reason and without mercy. It's like an infection, mindless."

"You have a strange religion," he said. Her arm became limp, like the life was slowly leaving her body.

"It's not just your fault," he said. He shook her arm to break her reverie. He lowered his eyes to where hers were, the inky brown still appearing and disappearing.

"We all do terrible things. Only monsters feel no guilt."

She raised her eyes.

"You're no monster."

"Are you?" she asked.

Silence. "I guess not."

"Why do you care?"

The answer flowed from his mouth without him consciously preparing the words. "I need to protect you so I can be strong."

"That's kind of selfish don't you think?" she said after a pause.

"I never said I was perfect. We're both terrible human beings."

"Then why don't you give in?"

"Why should I? Why should we suffer for being exactly who we are? Everyone has sins," he said.

"I don't know if I can do it," she whispered.

"I'll protect you…"

The door to the prison opened. Wafts of energy floated through making the air crackle. The two prisoners quickly parted, their chains rattling as they scurried to their separate corners. The demoness walked past Vergil's cell, unlocked Evangeline's, and entered. Her usual human form was dropped and her face was elongated like the snout of a wolf and filled with jagged teeth and her fingers were longer and tipped in claws, but the rest of her body remained human. She snarled at Evangeline and charged towards her, reaching out one clawed hand to grasp a fistful of hair. Evangeline struggled against her grasp, gripping onto to demon's wrist to mitigate the pain. Vergil watched with wide eyes, his muscles tensed in anticipation.

"If you couldn't tell, I'm in a bad mood," she growled. Her speech was garbled by her new face as if her mouth was full of stones. "Because of you two I get to miss the invasion of Fortuna. Apparently someone needed to stay and watch you worms."

She twisted her fistful of hair, causing Evangeline to yelp. She tilted her snout-head and brought Evangeline's face closer.

"Look at me," she ordered. Evangeline opened her eyes. "You're acting different. Why are you acting different? You haven't been fighting."

She threw her to the ground where she crumpled into a heap. Her head made a sick crunch as it bounced off the stone floor.

"You are supposed to be broken," she snapped, giving her a swift kick to the ribs. She paced around the cell, gnashing her rows of teeth together. Evangeline was back on her elbow.

"Bring me my whip!" the demoness screamed. The sound of scurrying talons could be heard near the entrance of the prison. She grabbed Evangeline's hair again bringing her face so close their noses nearly touched.

"I will fillet you alive. We can start the pain all over again. Everything I will go through for my failure, I'll make you go through." Her free hand shot out and grabbed Evangeline's ribs. The claws buried themselves between the bones, pushing deeper every time she struggled for air. _Stop!_ he screamed but no sound came out.

"But we've whipped you so many times. What do you think, Vergil?" The demoness turned towards him. Her eyes widened briefly before she smiled.

"So that's why," she said. It was then that Vergil realized he was crouched and staring at the scene playing out before him. His hands were wrapped around a chain as if he intended to break it or use it as a weapon.

She let go of her grip on Evangeline's ribs.

"Do you really think he can help you?" she dropped her again. Evangeline stared wide-eyed at Vergil, her mouth open in a silent plea.

A small demon entered the prison with the whip. The demoness sauntered to Vergil's cell and opened the lock. She ordered the whip-bearing demon to undo his shackles. When he was free she grabbed him by the neck, easily dragging his emaciated body to the cell next to him.

"Do you really think you can do anything? You're so weak!" she said as she dumped his pathetic form in front of Evangeline. She threw the whip down next to him. The small barbs at the end clanked together as they fell.

"You do it," she ordered pointing at Evangeline. He didn't move. She grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet.

"Do it or I will kill her."

He picked up the whip and stared into the green eyes of his victim. They were hard as if turned to stone.

"There's no hope," Evangeline said.

He brought the whip down.

_I am so, so weak._

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The demoness was satisfied with her handiwork. Evangeline's hopelessness tasted like the sweetest honey. Inside, she giggled with delight as she watched Vergil bring the deadly barbs across her back again and again. Eventually, he crumpled to floor and was dragged to his own cell to watch her bleed.

"Now that we're back on schedule," the demoness ordered one of the unfortunate captured citizens of Fortuna to be brought down. He cried and begged for his family only to be silenced with a slap to the face. The demoness laid a small knife from her belt onto the floor next to the bleeding Evangeline. She was huddled in a mass, her arms wrapped tightly around her wounded torso. She could see the demon growing her behind her eyes; it still flickered in and out. _Only a little further_.

"It hurts being betrayed," she said, adjusting the knife slight with her foot. "It stops hurting when you stop caring."

She smiled at the man which sent him into a frenzy as she revealed her teeth.

"You can kill him, or I can torture him. It's up to you. The first step to freedom is a sacrifice of blood," she brushed a strand of hair from Evangeline's eyes. It left behind a trail of dirt and blood on her finger. She didn't move a single muscle.

"Make it easy on yourself," she said and walked out of the prison.

His hands were shaking. The shackles on his wrists trembled when he did. The nameless man was begging for his life. Evangeline still crouched with her arms wrapped around herself. Vergil struggled vainly for the words that wouldn't come. He couldn't even fight back against her. She dragged him as if were a rag doll.

"Don't do it," Vergil said.

She looked up, and he stopped cold. No tears filled them, no sign of life or anguish. Her eyes could have been glass beads and they would have been no different. There was nothing he could say.

The doomed man screamed for help. Vergil rolled over and covered his ears against the sound.

_You are so pathetic_.

###########

After many hours had passed, the man grew quieter. Vergil faded in and out of consciousness, plagued by visions of his mother and hard, green eyes. Evangeline had not moved from her spot.

When she did it, there was only the soft rustling of clothes followed by complete silence. Vergil awoke and sat up. In the other cell she was quiet, crouched where she had been before, only the bloodied knife dangling between her limp fingers was any indication of what she had done. The man lied silent, as if sleeping, his arm covering his eyes.

She lifted her head and turned towards him. The brown ink no longer disappeared, but lingered, constantly shifting. His insides felt cold.

The prison door opened and a small demon with a rope entered. Its hunched back caused him to limp on one twisted leg. Black eyes and a slit for a mouth were its only features. With gnarled hands it unlocked Evangeline's cell and made its way slowly to the unnamed man's body passing between Evangeline's crouched form and the bars separating their cells.

Vergil looked at Evangeline, and in a single moment of clarity, he knew what he needed to do to save himself.

"Evangeline! Dammit, attack him!"

The demon paused slightly, blinking its large eyes. For a moment, Vergil wondered if she would listen as she made no movement. But with a sudden yell she threw herself onto the demon as it stepped with its bum leg. It careened into cell's bars, and in blink of an eye Vergil had grabbed it around the throat. Only a sputter escaped its lips as the hands around its windpipe tightened. Bones began to snap and a sudden strength surged through him. He pulled until the demon's head was through the bars, its shoulders the only think preventing it from being dragged to the other side. Vergil wrapped a shackle chain around its neck and pulled. Sinews and muscles snapped and the head was left dangling when its entire body turned into dust.

"Holy hell!"

Vergil grabbed the demon's fallen keys and fumbled for the correct one to unlock his chains. One by one, the shackles fell to the ground. His muscles tightened and he could feel the blood pounding through his body, excited by the kill. Power seemed to course through his body again, removing all pain, torture, and humiliation he had endured out of his own self pity and sense of guilt. _Not so weak anymore._ He looked at Evangeline who was standing with her mouth gaping, staring at the pile of dust.

"I thought you weren't that strong," she said.

"You were wrong," he said and unlocked his cell door. "We're getting out. Grab the knife. I need you to move fast so stop wasting time."

_I thank whatever gods may be for my unconquerable soul. _

_

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**Reviews and criticism are welcome (How can you become a better writer without them?)**  
_


	4. Chapter 4

_**I do not own DMC or any of the character, stories, plots, etc. there of. **_

_**Thank you to everyone who read and everyone who reviewed. **_

_**Criticism is welcome. **_

_**Enjoy.**_

* * *

The demon world stretched before them like the dry, lifeless bones of a corpse. From the blasted landscape arose jagged towers of dun colored stone which stretched towards the crimson sky like demon claws and fingers. The sky would be punctuated by pulsing light the color of bruises which only served to disorient the onlooker. From the cliff they stood upon, they could see the compound they had escaped from behind them. It resembled a massive termite mound with spires jagged stone on which minions of the demon lord scurried. Below them was a valley filled with the stone claws and in the distance a twinkling of red like an ocean made of blood.

Evangeline crouched in the shadow of one of the claw-like rocks, occasionally dosing off and startling herself awake when her head fell. Vergil stood close by, blocking the wind with his larger bulk. After breaking out of the compound and starting on their journey across the plains of hell, they realized how inadequately dressed they were for any journey. Within the controlled atmosphere and dark of the prison they had hardly noticed their embarrassing predicament, having worse things to worry about. It seemed that nothing can make you feel more naked then walking in hell. The wind would alternately between blowing frigid cold air which turned their noses and fingers blue and blasting the land with hot air which felt as if they were walking on the surface of the sun. Neither was in possession of shoes, and the heated land left blisters on their exposed feet. Countless whippings, burnings, and other tortures had reduced their clothes to tatters which barely concealed the necessary parts. With the first wind they encountered, Vergil's scraps of fabrics which acted as a shirt seemed to dissolve with the force. Evangeline, luckily, was still able to maintain some amount of decency, though blood had made them black and stiff like parchment.

The worse feeling was the profound hunger which overwhelmed the both of them. Torture had occupied their minds, but the long hours trekking across a barren valley coupled with thoughts of freedom brought their thoughts to empty stomachs, food, and water.

_I would kill for some noodles_, Vergil thought. His surge of power from killing the demon had quickly dissipated upon leaving the demon's lair.

"Where are we going?" Evangeline asked from her kneeling position.

Escaping from the compound had been easy enough. The halls remained empty save for a few lesser demons wondering aimlessly through their lengths. Even the valley they had walked across was empty. It seemed as if the demon world had more important things to do than watch for an emaciated human and weak, self-pitying demon. After emerging from the prison, they had wandered the hallways of the compound before deciding, essentially, to climb from a window. The rough material which made up the building was perfect for escaping even if imposing from a distance. From there they walked, trying to put the maximum distance between them and their prison.

"They'll be after us soon," he said.

"I know that. I asked where are we going," she replied. A frigid wind blasted like a blizzard through the valley. Vergil doubled over with the cold as it snatched the breath from his body. As quickly as it appeared it disappeared leaving only the tingling of frost nip.

Vergil straightened. "There needs to be a way out. Weaker demons pass into the human world all the time."

Evangeline pulled some of the peeling flesh from her foot.

"Any ideas on how to find one?"

"That's why were waiting."

She waved a hand in front of her face, following it with her eyes. Then she clasped it tightly into a fist before letting it fall to her side.

"Why does everything look fuzzy? I feel different," she said. Vergil stared at the shifting brown colors floating beneath the surface of her eyes.

"You're part demon now. The transformation started in your eyes. If we would have stayed, you would have changed completely."

"Can I do what you told me you could do? Am I super-fast and strong?"

She stood up and gave a little jump into the air. He raised an eyebrow at her display. She certainly looked less than intimidating with her short stature and wilted frame. Every bone was clearly on display: ribs, knees, collar bone. She had shrunk to the point that her legs her hardly wider than her arms. Her thinness only added to the severity of her face as her cheek bones stood out sharply from the rest of her features. Even her hair seemed brittle covered in dirt and blood. Scars crisscrossed most her back, becoming one large mass of tissue. The wounds left by his whip still remained, but had healed partially due to her partial demonic transformation. Looking down at his own body he realized that he had not faired much better. His demonic side had managed to maintain some of his mass, but his ribs still protruded grossly from his torso. Muscle was altogether gone, having melted away under starvation. Briefly, he wondered what his brother would like.

Would he even try to see him if they escaped?

"You're a little stronger, faster, and agile. Nothing more than a particularly exceptional human," his gaze wandered back to her eyes. The green still stood out sharply, defying the demon essence around it. "But you will probably see things very differently."

She stopped jumping and stared at him.

"Can we actually get out?"

Behind them, a stone fell to the ground amongst the scampering of feet. Vergil grabbed her around the waist and pulled her into the enclave created by the intersection of two large stones. The walls of the stones created a small cave, the lip of which blocked them from view. From the shadow, they watched a group of various demons emerge, their heads snapping back and forth. They quickly left the area, continuing their search at the bottom of the cliff.

One stopped and sniffed the air. Vergil's heart started racing and he clutched the knife in his hand as he wondered if the demon could smell their rank bodies. It peered around one more time, its pig nose scrunched before heading forward with its companions. In the distance behind them, a loud scream from a woman echoed through the stones and into their hiding spot.

"They've started searching," he grabbed her wrist tightly and began dragging her parallel to the valley below them. He could see the demons bounding below.

"You're hurting me," she hissed, but he did not let go. They moved from stone to stone until the group of demons was nothing but dots in the distance. He peered down the sheer face of cliff which began sloping half way down. _Fifty yards, maybe_.

"We need to climb down." He turned to face Evangeline square in the face. A blast of hot air overcame them. She peered over the edge, lowered her eyes at him and did not move. He grabbed her arm and pushed her against a boulder. Parts of it crumbled away like sand beneath her weight.

"If you don't listen to me, they will find you. Trust me."

"How can I? If you could have escaped all along, why didn't you?"

He dropped her arm and walked back to the edge of the cliff. A rush of heat flowed over him, and the ground seared his feet. He paced along the edge, keeping his eyes from wondering back to Evangeline.

He stopped. "We're very similar. If you didn't deserve to be punished, than I didn't as well."

"You didn't need to bring me with you."

"No, I didn't. Don't make me regret it."

She walked towards the edge and peered over one more time. With a final deep breath, she jumped down. He heard the sound of her body thudding down the incline. A moment later, he followed after, descending into the valley.

####

"I need to stop," Evangeline said. Her chest heaved and she leaned against one of the stone claws. For what Vergil estimated was two days, they had made their way across the valley, dodging the demonic search parties scanning the valley as well. Vergil had only used the knife once to kill one of the stragglers in the search party who had come across them as they emerged from their hiding spot.

For half of the second day, not a single demon had emerged. The red reflection in the distance had grown. As they moved closer, the sky darkened becoming black above the blood ocean. He could make out the outline of broken marble statues and pillars. At the pace they were walking, they would reach it in a few hours. The memory of Mundus' form of glowing lights. A pit formed in his stomach.

"See that," he said, pointing. He was still walking forward. "That's where I landed when I was first trapped here."

"Why are going there?"

"It's a weak spot between the human world and the demon world. There will probably be an entrance to the human world there."

As he uttered the last word, he heard the sound of metal against stone. Quickly, they hid behind a stone and watched warily from behind it.

A demon of lust slowly lumbered by without the usual frantic speed it displayed in battle. It dragged its scythe behind it, holding it by the end of the handle. Its eyes were focused ahead of it. It looked like a bored salary man heading to work.

After it was about twenty yards ahead, Vergil motioned with his head to follow it. Crouching, the dashed from stone to stone, keeping their distance but always a watchful eye. Occasionally it would stop and sniff the air. They would quickly hide behind a boulder, curling up into the smallest possible form. Eventually, it would begin moving again and they would continue their pursuit.

Vergil was not sure how long they chased the demon, but it eventually disappeared when they stopped to rest. Continuing forward, he nearly fell off the precipice which marked the end of the claw-stone valley. Stretched before him was the lake of blood filled with the ruins of empires. He almost felt younger, as if the whole ordeal after Temen-ni-gru had never occurred and he could just walk back into his life. Hit the reverse button, start all over again.

"There he is," Evangeline said, her finger pointed at the black figure already traversing the lake. They scrambled down the side of the precipice, Evangeline falling most of the way. Several times he needed to reach out hand to stop her from tumbling head-over-heels down the side. The demon was still visible when they started across the lake.

His feet on the surface sent shivers up his spine. They did not plunge into the crimson depths but walked on the surface. It seemed to writhe under his bare feet, the consistency equivalent to that of wet dough, giving only slightly to his weight.

They did not speak a word as they crossed, but only kept their eyes on the demon. The lake itself was eerily quiet, only the soft sound of their feet interrupted it. Scalding hot and freezing cold winds had ceased; the lake's air was chilled and heavy like a thick fog. They finally stopped when the demon had halted in front of a pile of rubble that looked as if a church had collapsed. As if balanced on the rubble, the portal was perched; a gaping tear in the air which revealed blue skies. The demon quickly bounded up the pile and disappeared into the portal.

They approached the portal. Evangeline turned towards Vergil.

"This all seems too simple. Too easy. All that time locked up, and we just get to walk out?" she said.

He walked over to the pile of rubble, walking around its circumference until he found a small enclave guarded by two toppled pillars. It was large enough for a person to hide out of site if they managed to squeeze through the entrance.

"It's not that easy, not for me at least."

"What are you doing? Let's go," she said and started to climb the rubble pile.

"Wait. I can't go through."

She clambered back down. "What do you mean?"

He pulled her over the cave and squatted at the entrance. Her eyes kept wandering back to the portal, to freedom.

"Listen carefully." He grabbed her face between his hands. Her eyes widened, but she did not pull away.

"These portals are for lesser demons, the weaker ones. I can't pass through but you can."

"You're not that powerful any more."

His eyebrows snapped together. "Yes, but I am still a higher demon. For me to pass through you need to create a portal on the other side."

She pulled his hands away.

"How do you expect me to do that?" She spat her last word.

"You need to get two things. An amulet and a sword, my sword, Yamato. The amulet will be with my brother. His name is Dante Sparda and he owns a shop in the city. I don't know where the sword is, but when the invasion of that city…Fortuna happened, I felt it. You'll be able to sense that it is mine, it will have my essence."

She raised an eyebrow, her green eyes containing betraying her skeptical feelings.

"Don't give me that look. The sword is very powerful. You need to find the sword and the amulet, it's large and red. Remember where in the human world you emerged. Bring the two items to this portal and stab the sword into the place where you crossed over. The amulet will do the rest."

Her gaze was hard and her face was devoid of emotion. "How do you know I won't just leave you here?"

"I got you out of that prison. It more than makes up for me hurting you."

She turned her gaze away and again stared at the portal. "What will you do?"

"Wait for you to come back."

"I should find your brother. He'll know how to get you out…"

He grabbed her arm and pulled her face close to his, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

"Don't you ever tell my brother! Do you understand?"

She nodded slowly.

"Why can't I tell him?"

"You're dead and I'm dead as far as anyone is concerned. He may try to stop you or try to kill me."

Despite the anger in his voice, his eyes were soft, his mouth turned down, and his forehead was set with a deep wrinkle of worry. She gently touched his hand that was still grasping her arm.

"It's ridiculous, but I won't worry him. I'll let you do that. But how will I get the amulet from him?"

He stared her squarely in the eyes, the blue depth hinting at his answer.

"What ever you have to do."

She placed his words in the back of her mind but understood what he had implied. There were few ways acquire items from complete strangers without them knowing.

"You don't have a problem with it, do you?" he said with a small smirk playing at the corner of his lip.

She leaned in close.

"I'm not a very good person, remember." Evangeline stood, and stared at Vergil one last time. His body seemed so weak, but his eyes were firmly set, as if he could take on the entire demon realm.

"Will you be alright?"

He glared and said nothing. She turned towards the portal and began to climb. He watched her ascend, then leap through to the other side and the world became silent. Alone, he thought he caught the smell of grass and his body felt heavy.

####

Evangeline was caught in vertigo. Though she had jumped up towards the portal, she felt as though she were falling through space before she seemed to shoot out of the ground and land on the hard ground.

She lied for a moment with her face buried in the grass. The smell of dirt, grass, and pollen filled her nose with their sweet scent. The sun shined pleasantly on her back and the wind softly rustled the leaves of trees, making soft music. Arms spread wide, she moved them up and down, feeling the grass stroke her skin and she began to laugh. Uncontrolled elation spread to every cell and her mind was dizzy with sensation.

This was quickly halted, though with the strong pain that shot through her torso. The hunger which she had grown used to in the underworld suddenly took on a new immediacy as her body realized it was truly going to die. With one hand she clutched her stomach, and with the other, began to crawl. A few feet from where she emerged, a large bush with dark green leaves had taken root next to a tree. From its branches hung small, red berries resembling raspberries.

She grabbed a handful and stuffed them her mouth. The juices were tart and dribbled down her chin. Handful after handful, she threw down her gullet, consuming a few twigs and leaves along with them. It was if the gods had sent ambrosia to earth just for her. After her stomach was full, it began to rumble and she vomited up the berries in a red mass of pulp and seeds. She sighed and lay down next to the berry bush.

Evangeline closed her eyes then fell asleep. The sound of the bush rustling awoke her and she shot up from her sleep. From under the foliage, a brown rabbit emerged with its pink nose wiggling. Briefly, she wondered if she could eat it but by the time the thought crossed her mind, it had bounded off.

She looked through the branches of the tree and could see clear, blue skies. The moment was interrupted when she remembered Vergil's blue eyes waiting in hell. She stood up. From somewhere nearby came the sound rushing water. Before heading in its direction she gathered a pile of stones and arranged them in a pattern at the base of the tree. From there, she walked towards her spot of emergence, counting each step. When she arrived at the spot, she expected to see a gaping hole and Vergil staring up at her but saw only grass and twigs. He was still down there.

She wondered towards the river wondering how she was going to find Dante and the sword when she didn't even know where she was.

_I could use a cigarette_, she thought.

* * *

**_Please Review_**


	5. Chapter 5

**_I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the character, plots, stories, places, etc there of. _**

**_Thank you to all who read. _**

**_The last chapter wasn't my best (I had to get from point A to point B). But the rest of the DMC cast will be showing up in the next chapters. _**

**_Please enjoy. RR please.  
_**

* * *

The street was empty as if no one dared to traverse it after dark. She had emerged from the woods hours ago, just as twilight had begun to set in. So far, not a single car had passed by. Evangeline sat on the hard cement, piling lose pieces into tiny mounds which she would then destroy with a swipe of her hand and start all over again. The moon was not as forgiving as the sun and with its presence came the chill of night air.

She had found the stream in the woods. It was no deeper than her waist and was only a few feet wide. Upon seeing it she ran over and plunged her head into the depths until her face touched the pebbles lining the shallow shore. The ice-cold water numbed her face as she drank it. Never had water tasted as sweet. Finally, she had emerged; her hair dripping wet. Brown rivulets ran down her chest from the red tresses and upon seeing this, she dived into the river.

The brown water ran off her submerged form, carrying with it every wound and humiliation inflicted upon her. It swirled down the stream, changing to lighter and lighter shades until it was clear. She again plunged her head into the stream and ran her fingers furiously along her scalp and down the strands of hair. Unable to breath, she stood with blue fingers and toes. After her cleaning, she had begun to wonder amongst the trees looking for anything. She did not know where to begin, where to go, or what she should do. Eventually she came upon the road and sat down, hoping that fate would intervene.

Amongst her ruined piles, Evangeline began to dose having given up on rubbing her arms for warmth. She awoke to a firm grip on her shoulders.

Throwing the hand away, she scrambled to her feet seeing misshaped shadows in the bright light.

"Hey, hey, hey! Calm down!"

She was still fighting the grasping hands, when the voice penetrated her shocked psyche. Blinking her vision clear, the face and form of an old man and woman emerged from the light of a truck's headlights.

"Are you okay?" the old man asked, his eyes wide. The old woman behind him wrung her hands together and stared at Evangeline.

"I'm fine," she stammered and brought her hands to her sides.

"Oh my god! Look at you," the old woman said. "We need to take you to the hospital."

"No, no, I don't need to go. I just need some clothes and a place to stay."

"Come on," the old man said and put an arm around her shoulders. He gently guided her to the truck and helped her into the seat. He climbed in on the driver's side while the old woman took the passenger seat, effectively sandwiching Evangeline between them. The old woman pulled a blanket out from under the seat and threw it over Evangeline's shaking shoulders.

"You need to go to the hospital. You like you've been through hell. Did someone hurt you?" the old woman said, rubbing her shoulders under the blanket. She remembered the last time she had been touched kindly; it was Vergil's hand.

"I don't want to go to the hospital. I just need some food and clothes."

"Do you have family?"

"No."

"What's your name?"

Evangeline swallowed and pondered the question for a moment.

"It's Evelyn Sparda," she finally said.

They rode in silence the down the road. The old woman continued to run Evangeline's shoulders. A half-an-hour from where she was picked up was a lone gravel rode which led to a two story farm house with a red barn. She was hardly aware that she was moving when the old man leaned her weight on him and dragged her into the house and up the stairs. He laid her down on the bed, his entire face crinkled in disbelief as he saw her form in the light. Weakly, she allowed the old woman to strip away her tatters and replace it with new clothes.

"Oh sweet lord," she kept muttering under her breath. She covered her with a blanket and ran down the stairs as fast as her old legs could carry her. Evangeline did not notice her return.

"Eat this," she ordered while placing food between her lips. She bit down, her mouth filling with the taste of warm bread. She snatched it from the old woman and stuffed the entire slice her mouth. The old woman shook her white head and gave her another piece. Before it even reached her mouth, Evangeline's eyes rolled into the back of her head and the world went black.

####

Vergil ran after his brother. His tiny legs were a lot quicker than he thought they would be. He couldn't tell where he was running to. Little Dante stopped and turned towards him.

"I killed you," he said and pointed. A little boy with white hair was pinned to a tombstone with a giant sword. Blood trickled from the wound on his chest, forming a pool around him.

He returned his gaze to the child Dante. Instead he was face to face with a blonde haired woman.

"Mother?"

"How could you, Vergil?"

Blood sputtered from her mouth. He caught her falling form and realized that he was holding the knife. He cradled her head in his arms and buried his face in her hair. A shadow passed over them.

"You deserve to be here," Dante said.

A flash of metal.

Vergil jolted awake, slamming his arm into the wall as he did. A sharp pain resonated from his elbow to his shoulder. He had tried to stand in the small cave which allowed only enough room for him to crouch. Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair. Above him, a demon scrambled up to the portal, its feet slapping the roof of his hiding spot. When the noise stopped, he closed his eyes again.

He saw Dante, standing with Yamato in his chest. His mouth was agape as he stared at the sword rudely penetrating his torso.

"You killed me."

Vergil startled awake again.

He buried his face in his hands.

_Dammit, Dante._

Evangeline awoke and looked around the room. Standing outside the observation window was the old woman speaking with a man in a long, white lab coat. _Devil Doctor,_ she thought. This was the fifth time the old woman had come to visit. After she had passed out in their home, they had called the hospital. She couldn't really blame them for not wanting some stranger to die in their home. She remembered riding in on the gurney, the lights flashing above her head as she passed under, and the oxygen mask around her mouth.

Malnutrition, severe blood loss, sleep deprivation, and dehydration they had said. Possible hemorrhaging in her eyes, check for blunt force trauma. The doctor had interrogated her about her condition: Who had hurt her? Did she have any family?

Do you have a history of drug abuse?

Yes.

Do you know where you are?

No.

Do you know what day it is?

No.

Were you on drugs when you fainted?

Hell, no.

After she had initially tried to escape they tied her to the bed. Not that it was necessary; she only got as far as her hospital room door before she collapsed again. They had her attached to an IV which provided constant nutrition. After two weeks in the hospital, her weight had shot up and her ribs and other bones once again were hidden and she no longer had fainting spells. Not that she looked good; she was always the spindly type, lacking in all the grace and curves of the female form. However, after eating some food that the hospital provided, she had decided to eat as much as she could and become as big as she wanted. In case she dragged back to the underworld. Nightmares were still an issue, though. She would awake scream most nights prompting a visit from the hospital shrink.

Do you have a history of mental illness?

No.

Are you going to say what happened?

No.

I think it is PTSD.

One day, a nurse had left a newspaper which she read from her position on the bed. It had been a year since she was taken. Her family had probably stopped looking for her, probably assuming she was dead and in the gutter like she should have been years before.

She wiped the tears off her cheeks from her recent nightmare. It disturbed her more when she cried than when she screamed.

The doctor walked in.

"You seem to be getting much better," he said. "A lot more quickly than I would have thought. Except for your eyes."

"Good," she said. _His hair is immaculate. _

The handsome doctor spoke. "Unfortunately, we ran your name through the database and nothing came up. There are quite a few bills to pay, you know."

She shrugged, "I don't know what to say."

"I'm going to be blunt and say that you are lying. We're going to run your fingerprints. I have a feeling something will pop up," he said, anger written in the wrinkled lines of his glare.

Her blood ran cold, and she could feel it draining from her face. He only smiled in response, closed the curtain around her bed, and walked out of the room. After a few minutes, she took a deep breath.

_Time for my great escape._

She looked at the straps around her ankles and wrists. Taking a deep breath, she wrapped one hand around its restraint and pulled, putting her entire strength into it.

_RIIIIPP!_ The strap tore away from the metal bed pole.

She looked at the strap hanging from her wrist for a moment in amazement before hurriedly undoing the rest of the straps and tearing out the IV.

"I'm getting good as escapes," she whispered, hopping down from the bed.

Quickly, she darted to the window and peered out into the hallway. A nurse walked by in her scrubs but disappeared around the corner. With one hand she opened the door and glanced down the white hallway. Each end was devoid of any life.

Slinking like a cat caught with a stolen fish between its teeth, she made her way down the hallway. Along its length, doors opened into other patient's rooms. She caught a glimpse of the nighttime sky through a window at the end of the hallway before heading into the stairwell. When she reached the bottom at the basement level she left the stairwell, checking either way when she opened the door. An orderly looked over papers as he walked down the hallway. Evangeline quickly pulled back into the stairwell, flattening herself against the wall next to the hinges. The orderly opened the door; it stopped only and inch from where she was hiding. He walked up the stairs and disappeared to the first floor.

She emerged from her place, checked the hallway and entered. Across from the stairwell was a door labeled "Staff Lockers." Taking one last glance over her shoulder, she entered. From the locker room, she stole a pair of dark jeans, several sizes too big, black shoes, a black tank top, sunglasses, and a black leather jacket. As she was closing one of the lockers she had raided, she spotted a brown wallet. Inside were two hundred dollar bills, several twenties, and a handful of credit cards.

"They really need to learn how to use a lock." She slammed the locker shut.

She left the hospital through an open loading dock in the back. Shades pulled over her eyes, she walked quickly from the back of the hospital and to the street. A block away was a brightly lit gas station with a gaggle of badly dressed youths hanging out in front. As she approached, she surreptitiously pulled a card out of the wallet.

"Hey, baby. Where are you going?"

She kept her eyes down as she walked past, letting the card drop to the sidewalk a few feet from the boys.

Inside the gas station was a lone teenager pouring over a magazine on the counter. He raised his pimple covered head as she walked in, not bothering to greet her. She approached the counter. On a rack next to the door was a magazine: **City of Fortuna Rebuilding After Vicious Attack**. She grabbed the newspaper as she walked by.

"Hi," she said smiling. "How do I get to Fortuna?"

The teenager grabbed a map from the counter.

"Oh, yeah. And a pack of cigarettes."

####

_What a dump_. It seemed as though the city was about two days drive from the hospital. She had quickly found the highway the teenager had pointed to and stood at the edge, cigarette dangling from her mouth, waiting for someone who was not paranoid about picking up a hitchhiker. Help came in the form of a leering old man who took her to the next city about three hours away and a female truck driver who took her to the outskirts of Fortuna on the way to drop off her goods.

The city itself was a mass of half-destroyed buildings. Hardly any structure was left unscathed. Rising above the city was a massive tablet of stone, its top cut off at a diagonal angle. Sounds of construction and moving stones echoed down the alleys and streets, mingling with the sound of shouting, talking, and the occasional burst of laughter.

She started down the street, towards the city center. People worked diligently at removing the rubble of their former lives and rebuilding their new homes. Men and women alike had their heads covered hoods and scarves and were fully covered despite the heat of the day. A man in a white uniform directed workers so they could navigate the streets.

"Excuse me. What happened here?" she asked, approaching him. He glanced at her, his eyes moving up and down her form. He turned back to his work.

"Another reporter. We told you what happened, so are you done humiliating us by telling us we were all a part of crazy cult hallucination."

She shook her head. "No. I just go here. Sorry to bother you."

Continuing on to the center, she watched the families go about their business. She glanced down an alley where two boys were playing with an old stray. Further down, she saw a flash of white hair and a familiar face.

"Vergil?"

She started after the man who had turned the corner and disappeared. When she got to the place where he had turned he was no where in sight. Running quickly down the narrow passage, the square emerged in front of her. She stood in front of a ruined fountain, in the shadow of what appeared to be a destroyed temple.

There the man she though was Vergil had stopped and was conversing with a group of men in white. But he was too young, his features softer, his whole body more relaxed. Definitely not someone who had been tortured. But he looked as though they were related, and though he was not Vergil, she could not shake the feeling of his presence. Around his waist, he carried a long katana.

Suddenly, her eyes began to burn. She took off her sunglasses and rubbed them with the heel of her hand. Though tears streamed down her face, she once again looked towards the man. Standing next to him, on the side bearing his sword, was the misty, blue image of a demon. It stared at her, and she recognized the eyes.

_That's it. Damn, Vergil was right._

She slunk back into the alley, keeping her eyes trained on him. Tilting her head, she tried to catch their conversation.

"Where have you been all day?" one of the uniformed men said loudly to the young doppelganger.

"There were some demons…west forest. I took them out…go home." His back to her muffled his speech. After exchanging a few more words, he clapped one of his companions on the back and walked away.

She returned her sunglasses to her face and began following him. He always remained several blocks in front of her; his distinctive hair was not easy to lose. As she followed, she made sure to stay out of site behind pedestrians. Eventually, he turned down a larger street and walked into a white, bricked townhouse. At the door, a young woman greeted him. Finding a corner where she could stay hidden, she waited.

####

A figure stood in front of her. She reached for it. It turned around and she was face to face with green eyes, a match to her own. He screamed an unearthly animal scream that tore at the pit of her stomach, his mouth twisted too wide to be human. His body began to dissolve into black ash.

She screamed.

Evangeline awoke, her hands clutching the brick wall she had been leaning against. Her chest heaved as she looked around. Realizing she was still in the alley, her breathing slowed and she slumped forward.

"Oh, god," she said, watching her hands shake. She clenched them into fists.

It was nighttime. The young man would more than likely be sleeping.

She stood and stretched her legs before walking back to the city square looking for some place warm where she could wait until morning. No one in the city was awake; they all seemed to have boarded themselves up in their houses. Shoving her cold hands into her leather coat she began searching for anything that may be awake at that hour.

Down one of the streets lined with shops, she saw a light still shining. She hurried towards the building noting the sign that said city archives and newspaper. Peaking through the window, she saw a single desk light on, and a man hunched over some papers. She knocked on the window.

His head shot up from his work and he looked around. She waved at him and he walked towards the door and opened it.

"Can I help you?"

"Are you in charge of this place?"

"No, I'm a reporter. I was just looking over some of the newspapers to find out what happened here. The overseer gave me the key. Who are you?"

"Just curious. I'm not from around here and I couldn't sleep. Sorry to bother you." She began to turn around then spun back. "They don't happen to have newspapers from other cities do they? There's something I'm a curious about."

"Yeah, sure. What are you looking for?" He stepped aside to let her in.

He pointed her in the direction of the old newspapers and she began searching the piles for her city. The entire building was a mess of dusty stacks of books, shelves, and various kinds of paper. It was almost impossible to locate anything specific. When she found it, she frantically searched for papers dated around a year ago. She took a pile of them to an empty desk.

She removed her sunglasses to read the pages. In the reflection of the lamp's metal, she examined her eyes. In the skewed reflection, she could make out her green eyes and the lack of any demonic signs. The doctors had noted that it came and went as it pleased. Sniffing, she turned her attention back to the stack of newspapers and began skimming them. In the newspaper dated three weeks after her disappearance she found what she was looking for.

**Local Girl Missing,** **Considered Endangered**: _The girl, Evangeline Barton, was last scene five weeks ago leaving her friend's house. There has been no contact with the family, something they describe as "unusual behavior." The missing Barton is known to have a sever drug problem and is presumed dead by an overdose to some. Police reports say that she has disappeared before but only for a few days and maintained contact with her family. Barton lives alone but is often seen with others. Police and family have given up the search and hope that she will turn up eventually._

"I guess he was right," she said under her breath.

####

She read through the newspapers until dawn began to break, and she returned to her post. Late in the morning, the young man left the house and she saw that he was not carrying Yamato with him, but had replaced it with another. After twenty minutes, she made her move and went up to the door. She knocked.

A young woman with brown hair and large eyes answered the door. She blinked at Evangeline and smiled.

"Can I help you?" Her voice was soft.

Evangeline rubbed the back of her neck. "Yeah. Um, I was hoping I could use your phone. You see, I'm waiting for someone but I think I gave them the wrong directions."

"Oh, of course!" the young woman said, stepping aside. Evangeline entered. The house was immaculate except for the random assortment of weapons lying around. In a word, it was cozy with plush furniture, soft rugs, and colorful art on the walls. All the visible windows were open lending a fresh smell to the rooms. She led her to the living room and pointed to the phone sitting on the table.

"I'm Kyrie. Would you like some tea while you wait for your friend?" she asked.

"Yes, thank you. I'm Laura by the way."

"Nice to meet you. I'll be a moment with the tea. The water isn't quite hot yet."

"Thanks."

Kyrie passed through and arch which Evangeline presumed led to the kitchen. She picked up the phone and began scanning the room. Leaning in the corner, in plain sight, was the sword. It pulsated with blue light in her vision. She hurried over to it with the phone still at her ear. Panicked, she hoped back on forth on her feet trying to figure out what she should do with it or how she could take the giant thing without anyone she did the only thing she could do...

Throw it out the window.

It landed with a soft thud on the grass below. She listened to the sound of tea cups clinking together and quickly rushed back to her former standing place.

"Yeah, just take a left its in front of the café. Okay, I'll see you then…"

Kyrie walked in with the tea and two cups on a tray.

"Did you get in touch with your friend?"

Evangeline hung up the phone. "Yes. Yes I did. He'll be about fifteen minutes."

"Oh, good! Do you take sugar?"

After drinking the tea and giving Kyrie her full attention and her ear for the next fifteen minutes, she left. The entire time she was in the house her heart was pounding with the expectation of the young man's return. She walked down the street until she was out of site, then circled back. Sneaking into the backyard of the neighbor two houses down, Evangeline stole a duffel bag filled with tools from next to the neighbor's back door, emptied the bag, and crawled beneath the windowsills until she reached Kyrie's house. The sword was still sitting in the grass, looking abandoned and out of place like a teddy bear in a strip club. She grabbed it and stuffed it into the bag.

"Don't look at me like that! At least I got you out," she said to it.

Touching the sword, she felt the sensation of Vergil's hand when he had held hers. She tried to imagine what he would be doing, but could only see demons descending upon his helpless form.

_No, not helpless_, she thought as she crawled from the backyards and emerged on the street several blocks down. It struck her how absurd it was that she was risking so much to help him.

_I owe him. No, that's not it_. She could look him in the eye and not feel ashamed. He wanted to save her. At least someone had found her deserving. He wasn't terrible company either.

She headed back towards the highway and her next destination. Dante was in the city, and she had a feeling the devil wouldn't be hard to find.

####

Vergil couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw his brother's bloodied form or his form, he couldn't tell. He didn't know whose blood was on whom or even who he was killing when he stabbed the body. And his mother's screaming face, she wouldn't stop screaming. His leg shook with impatience as he waited and wondered if she would ever return. He would jump whenever a demon started climbing towards the portal, wondering if they were there for him. After what felt like months, he felt the warm surge of Yamato's power and the feeling of fingers around his arm. He smiled and wished for her to hurry.

* * *

_**Please Review. Criticism are welcome.**_


	6. Chapter 6

_**I do not own DMC or any of the character, stories, plots, locations, etc there of. **_

_**Thank you to all who read and all who reviewed.**_

_**Please Enjoy!**_

_**RR, please.  
**_

* * *

Evangeline placed her hand in front of the path of the white washcloth. The bearded bartender looked up in annoyance. She smiled.

"Hi there. I need a special job done. I was hoping you had some information."

He grunted a put the washcloth behind the bar. "Depends on whatcha lookin for."

She leaned forward, still smiling, resting her weight on her elbows. The bag containing Yamato pressed against her back as she changed positions.

"What can you tell me about Dante Sparda?"

He laughed, beard shaking on his wide face.

"You must have a special problem. But…I don't know who you're talking about," he said, rubbing his fingers against his thumb. She glowered at the motion.

"All I have is five dollars, so the most I can do is lift up my shirt."

He tilted his head back and glanced down his nose at her. She leaned back, resting her palms on the smooth wood of the bar.

"I can't help you."

She slammed her hands down. "Listen, I have been to twenty bars in this hellhole looking for Dante. Do you know how many nasty men I've had to fend off? No, you don't. And I'm not even that cute." He took a step back. "I have been through hell and back, so trust me I am in a very bad mood. So yeah I have a "special" problem and if you don't want those "special" problems finding their way to you, which they probably will when you die, I suggest that you tell me where he is."

"His shop is on the other side of town. Past the ritzy area. It's in a slummy part not too far from a strip joint called Sexy Planet. Big sign that says Devil May Cry. You can't miss it. Just ask when you get there."

"Thanks," she said and began to walk away.

"Wait! He's got two chicks that hang around him. They're always asking for a password and scaring people off so I can't guarantee that they will help you."

She threw the five on the counter and walked out.

####

The bartender wasn't lying when he said it was the ritzy part of town. Well-dressed men and women mingled in the streets lined with clean, brightly lit, expensive clothing and goods stores carrying large shopping bags. They stared at Evangeline as she walked by, wrinkling their noses at her oversized pants and dirty tennis shoes and the large bag strapped across her chest. She smiled at their gawking faces.

"Hey, how ya doing?" she said.

She stopped for a moment, pulling her sunglasses slightly down her nose, to admire a bright green pair of pumps in the window of a shoe store. The bright light enveloped the shoes on their tiny pedestal, instantly catching her eye. A few feet down at the same window was a young woman not much taller than her and extremely skinny in her sundress. She noted the pretty pair of shiny white stilettos.

"Hey, what size do you wear?" she asked. The skinny woman scrunched her face in disgust.

"None of your business, bitch!"

Evangeline smiled at her retreating back. The woman glanced over her shoulders a few times to see if Evangeline followed. When the woman did, she would dart out of site. Some people were made talkers, others were made runners; Evangeline was made to be a stalker. The woman stopped at a few shops before entering into a tall apartment complex filled with lofts.

Evangeline walked by entrance then saw an old woman in a fur coat struggling with some of her bags to get the door open. She walked over to her and gently caught her elbow.

"Excuse me, do you need any help?"

The old woman smiled, and she took some of her bags while she opened the door. After the door was unlocked, Evangeline stepped inside and handed the bags to their owner.

"I was walking by because I found a ring that a young woman had dropped and I saw her enter this building. She's about my size, long brown hair. She was wearing a sun dress," Evangeline said to the old woman.

"Well aren't you kind. I think you mean Sarah. She lives on the third floor, loft 6. I wouldn't expect a thank you from her, though," the old woman responded and started walking towards the elevator.

"Charity needs no thanks," Evangeline said smiling. She thanked the old woman and walked towards the stairs at the end of the red carpeted hallway.

On the third floor, she waited just around the corner which led to a utility closet at the opposite end of the stairwell. She tapped a dirty tennis shoe on the floor and listened for any movement. It was a Friday, she had a feeling her target would leave eventually. A few hours later, she heard a door open and the sound of a woman talking. Peaking around the corner, she saw the young woman talking on her cell phone. She had changed from her sundress in a short silvery dress with a low neckline.

"Yeah, totally. I'll meet you there," she said and walked over the elevator, pressed the button, and disappeared behind the sliding doors.

"About damn time," Evangeline said and stood up.

She walked over to the door to loft six. Vainly, she wiggled the handle; it was locked. Checking over her shoulders first, she gripped the door knob tightly and pressing her side against the door, she firmly shoved her hip against it. She heard the lock splintered and briefly thanked hell for the complimentary strength enhancement before stepping inside and closing the door.

The loft was huge; the living room itself was larger than most houses' total floor space. Everything was painted white with industrial pipes still showing. The furniture was oddly shaped in the more modern style. Adorning the walls were mirrors and several portraits of the young woman. Judging from the lack of any other photos on the wall, she figured the woman lived alone.

Locating the bedroom, she began raiding the closet for clothing and shoes. She grabbed several skirts, tops, sweaters, dresses, and few pairs of pants. She stole a few more suggestive outfits, calculating the need for them in the future. She didn't examine the clothes past making sure they were her size and weren't too flashy. Shoes were a different story. She took tall black boots, shorter black boots, black stilettos, several brightly colored heels, and a nice pair of women's sneakers. After gathering her wares, she stuffed them all into the bag containing Yamato. It bulged at the sides. She then made her way to the jewelry boxes and grabbed the most expensive looking items with the largest stones.

"Damn, they're all real," she said while picking up a pair of large diamond earrings. She placed the jewelry in her pockets and began the final stage of her pillaging. She opened drawers, checked under the mattress, and in the nightstand in search of money. Looking at the small photo of the woman, she smiled and pulled it off the wall. Behind it was a small door with a single key lock. She grabbed the metal handle and pulled, the door practically coming off its hinges, and removed the wad of cash. She shook her head, _Too easy. _

Returning to the living room, her eyes scanned for an escape route. All the living room windows and the kitchen windows led out to the street. Only the bathroom window, set in the corner of the apartment, led to a narrow alley and faced the storage rooms of stores in the building next to it. She opened the window as wide as it would go and glanced down the three stories, remembering the fall she had taken down the cliff in the valley of claws. Tossing the bag out first, she watched it hit the ground with a soft thud before following it.

"Ah, hell!" she said after landing on both feet. Pain shot through her right leg and she had to sit down. After a moment of useless rubbing, she stood up with the bag and made her way out of the alley to continue her thieving career.

####

Vergil punched the stone in front of him, his entire body shaking. _God get me out of here!_ The bloody face of Dante smiled next to him with an unblinking stare.

####

Evangeline stood watch outside of the building framed by neon lights spelling "Devil May Cry." She had left the bag with Yamato and the stolen goods in the cheap hotel she had spent a bug ridden night and had changed into a clean pair of jeans, a blue blouse, and the black boots, opting to keep her leather jacket and sunglasses. Before arriving at her destination, she had stopped at a pawn shop to sell the stolen jewelry. The greasy man didn't even bother to ask where the expensive pieces had come from. It was late afternoon and no one had stirred from the building.

_Good god they're lazy!_

Just as she thought this, two females walked out of the building. They were every man's fantasy. Tall, voluptuous, lean beautiful figures topped with shapely faces and lustrous hair. The blonde wore leather, the corset clearly showing off an ample bosom. The brunette, as if not wanting to be shown up, wore very short shorts and a revealing white button down. Evangeline looked down at her own body with worry. She pushed her small breasts together in a feeble attempt to imitate the women. Despite the weight she had put on, her body was still thin and shapeless. Not to mention short. Her own hair was curled widely most of the time, and she had always thought her face was to unwelcoming and masculine with its sharp angles. Her eyes followed the women as they walked in the opposite direction of her, laughing about something.

As she stared, her eyes began to burn and the blonde woman was surrounded by flashing electricity. She rubbed her eyes beneath her sunglasses until the image went away and decided to follow. They walked about a block down the street and entered a small café. Evangeline followed them inside where they sat at a small table coffee with two coffees steaming in front of them. She stared as she walked by their table, unsure of what she was expecting to find out by following them.

"Can I get you anything?"

Evangeline jumped; the worker at the counter had startled her.

"Yeah, sorry. Um…can I have some hot mint tea?"

The woman nodded. Evangeline pulled out a cigarette.

"There's no smoking," the woman said. Evangeline replaced the cigarette back in the box.

"He's in debt, how can he go out all the time?"

"He ignores his debt that's why. I should really charge a higher interest but I know it's useless."

"Drinking, guns, food, and those ridiculous clubs. What's the one he just found? Umm… Nightcrawler is what it's called. Who is he expecting to find there?"

"Someone easy probably."

The women's voices dropped to a lower pitch and Evangeline could no longer overhear. The tea was placed in front of her. She smiled and laid down a five.

"Keep the change," she said and walked out.

####

Evangeline's patience was running out. She wore a short black dress that hung awkwardly from her tiny shoulders though it covered her back and shoulders and the scars marring them. She tapped her bright green shoes to the beat of the music, watching dancing girls and roving drunks through the murky lenses of her glasses. So far, they had avoided her. The club Nightcrawler was a dingy hole-in-wall filled with bad music and makeshift stripper stage for dancing. A few people swung from the poles trying to imitate real dancers. She kept one eye on them and the other eye on the entrance.

A tall man in a red coat, black vest, and cowboy boots walked in, and she had spotted her target. She knew they were twins, but wasn't expecting the chill to run down her spine when she saw the familiar face. Vergil's worn blue eyes briefly entered her mind before dissipating like a puff of smoke.

Dante was significantly larger in build than his brother. His face fuller, his jaw more square and covered in dark stubble. His hair was shorter than Vergil's and completely white. He smiled and swaggered as he walked in, nodding to a few women. His movements were smooth like someone very sure of themselves and their ability to charm.

_Vergil's going to look good after a bath and a few meals_, she thought. She took a shot of whiskey and walked towards where Dante had taken a seat. He lifted a hand to a waitress to indicate he wanted a beer and watched the women on stage. Many of them had taken notice of him.

If there was one thing college and eight years of ballet and jazz had taught Evangeline, it was how to dance. She moved her hips slowly as she walked forward, almost hiding her boyish figure with her movements. When she got to the stage, she caught the eye of one man who had lost his partner to gazing with Dante and began dancing with the stranger. He ran a hand along her hip as she moved side to side with the beat, lifting her arms seductively in graceful arches. Despite her display of sexual confidence, she felt awkward dancing, her heart was pounding and her cheeks were hot with embarrassment which the darkness obscured. When his hands began to wonder too far, she moved away and positioned herself in front of Dante a little to left. She danced by herself, keeping her gaze on his face. Eventually, his eyes wondered to her and she turned her back to him, throwing a look over her shoulder. As she slowly bent lower to the floor, his eyes stayed with her.

_Gotcha_, she thought.

She danced by herself for a few moments more, confident that he was not looking elsewhere. Stepping down from the stage, she walked towards him with overwhelming relief to be done dancing. He smiled, and she saw his white teeth in the darkness. Her eyes began to burn and she blinked a few times to clear her vision of the red demon form which had sprung up around him.

"Hi, there," he said when she was standing next to him.

"Hi," she replied and sat down on the sofa with him.

He leaned forward, bringing his handsome face closer. In her mind, she saw a hallowed version staring intensely through the bars of a cell.

"Isn't it a little strange to wear sunglasses in a dark room?"

She laughed and lifted a hand to remove them. _Please be gone, please be gone, PLEASE BE GONE._ She folded them into her handbag.

"Nice eyes," he said, his eyes softening. "I've never seen them that green before."

"That must be special. Considering how many girls you have probably seen."

He laughed.

"Can I buy you a drink?" she asked.

"Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"

"Does it have to be?"

"What's your poison?" he asked.

"Whiskey," she said. He blinked in surprise and smiled.

"You're my kind of girl," he said and told the waitress. He leaned forward even further and a large, red amulet fell out from under his coat. Her eyes landed on it, and she wanted more than anything to snatch it from his neck and run screaming, probably for her life.

"Nice necklace," she said instead. He picked it up between two fingers and examined it.

"Trust me. It's very manly," he said. "Do you live in the city?"

"I do," she said, leaning forward pretending as if she were trying to hear him. Their faces were inches apart and she could feel his warm breath on her cheek.

"What do you do?" Evangeline asked. He smiled again.

"Lots of things," he answered. "So, what's your name?"

The waitress brought the tray down between them. Evangeline picked up the glass of whisky balanced on it, glancing over the rim at the smiling Dante before downing it in one gulp. She set it back on the tray.

"No, no," she said, shaking her head. "I have a policy, so that I don't become just some girl, you see. I don't give out my name, unless I meet the guy again. That way, I can know for sure." She stood up.

"Wait, seriously? Come back babe, I just bought you a drink!" he said, spreading his hands wide.

She just smiled and continued heading for the door.

"If fate lets us meet again…"

With that final phrase she left. Throwing a glance back over her shoulder, she saw him half-risen from his seat as if wanting to follow but deciding against it. Her smile faded as she walked out the door. Fate would most certainly not decide. Her memories of Vergil mixed with Dante's as she imagined what he must have looked like before his imprisonment.

####

The streets were dark and strewn with trash, transformed from a less than savory neighborhood to the seedy underbelly of humanity. Her hotel was just a few more blocks away, and as she walked, she considered finding a new place to stay.

Standing in the shadow of an alley was a young man in a long coat, his shoulders slouched and his hands in his pockets. His eyes shifted up and down the street and he continued to look over his shoulder. She knew this type of man, the body language and the eyes.

She stopped. "What are you selling?"

He looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"To you, nothin. How do I know you aren't a cop?"

"You don't know. But then again, I'm a paying customer," she flashed some cash that she had in her purse.

"I only sell to people I know, or people recommended so find your high elsewhere."

She stayed for a moment longer before walking away. With trembling hands, she pulled out a cigarette and lighter, placed it between her lips, and lit the end. It glowed like an ember in the darkness.

_I could have got some, probably would help me sleep_, she thought. In her mind, she saw blue eyes and stopped shaking.

####

Dante shook his head as he left the club, trying to clear some of the fog caused by too many beers. He left several hours earlier than his usual time, unable to enjoy himself. As he walked back to his shop and to two glaring women, all he saw were green eyes watching him like a tiger would prey.

####

Vergil breathed in and out deeply to calm his nerves. The bloody Dante had disappeared but he continued to hear voices prattling, making his nerves taut. He covered his ears only to discover that they didn't disappear or get any softer.

"Go away," he whispered. He closed his eyes and saw green eyes that smiled skepticism and mocking at him. He didn't want to be alone with his demons.

####

Dante was a man of habit, Evangeline soon discovered. She had sat perched on an adjacent building for a week, watching "Devil May Cry" and its inhabitants. Every other day, Dante would leave around 2pm and return looking very satisfied. When he had done this twice, she followed him to his destination. First he stopped by a diner and ate then he would enter into a small grocery store where he browsed magazines and occasionally picked up an item. At night, he and the women would go out in various directions, and Evangeline would return to her hotel.

It was on the seventh day that she decided to make her move. Around 2:30 pm she entered the grocery store and browsed through the shelves. Five minutes later, Dante entered, waved to the cashier, and began browsing the magazines next to the entrance. She watched him through the gap between two shelves of the soup isle. Adjusting her sunglasses, she stepped out, pretending to eye the contents of her purse. She walked past the cashier…

The hem of a red coat entered her vision.

"Hi again."

She looked up at his smiling face.

"Well look who it is," she said, a smiling slowly spreading on her lips. She puckered them every so slightly, tilted her head down, and stared up to him in supplication. _Damn, I'm good. _

"Does this count as fate?"

"Well I don't want to be a liar, so… yes."

His grin widened. "What's your name?"

She hesitated as she scrambled for her alias, "Laura Barton."

He held out a gloved hand. "I'm Dante."

She took a hold of his hand lightly and shook it. His hands were just as large as Vergil, but softer. The fingers long, with thick knuckles. They were calloused but well taken care of. He didn't let her hand go.

"Dante, like in the inferno," she said.

"Uh, yeah. Just like it," he said puzzled. "So where are you heading?"

"I was going to head home, maybe read a book."

"Geesh, that's boring. How about you come have coffee with me?"

She glanced at the magazine in his hand. On the cover was a photo of a nearly nude woman in a compromising position on a motorcycle.

"Are you going to by that?" she said pointing.

He looked down and tossed it over his shoulder where it landed with a flutter on top of the others.

"Buy what?"

He led her out of the store.

####

Dante glanced nervously around him. They sat at a small metal table outside of the coffee shop. She had a half-finished tea in front of her, still steaming, and he sipped from a large black coffee.

"You're not used to places like this are you?" she said.

"It's not really my thing, but I thought you would like it," he said, his shoulders relaxing slightly.

"I do like tea, but I'm interested in what you like," she said, leaning forward.

He crossed one leg on top of the other and leaned back smiling. Always smiling.

"Well, I own a shop."

"Oh, really. What do you sell?"

"Different services."

"You're not a prostitute are you?"

He laughed. "No, but I do live with two women."

"Really," she raised an eyebrow. "So I guess you like women."

"Yes, but they're just my partners. There's no relationship going on. Lady is too angry and Trish, well, that would be just plain awkward…"

"Why?"

"It's a long story," he sighed, waving his hand. "Do you have any family?"

She was silent for a moment, thinking of the best way to proceed. Vergil hadn't told her enough about Dante for her to maneuver the conversation, but she did know one thing they had in common.

"I had a brother. My twin, actually."

Dante didn't move, but his eyes stopped wondering and focused on her.

"Really. Anyone else?"

She shook her head. "My parents aren't really in the picture. I was on my own when I was a teenager, on the streets and in and out of facilities. It wasn't a very charmed life."

Her lie even fooled her for a moment as she looked at her hands as if embarrassed. She looked up with a weak smile.

"So what about you?"

He leaned forward and took a sip of his coffee.

"My parents are dead. But I…I have a twin brother too."

"Oh, really! Where is he?"

He shook his head, his smile gone. "Sorry, I meant had. I had a twin brother."

_You have a twin brother_, she thought. Vergil and Dante seemed like the perfect set of twins, opposites embodying with the other needed.

"I'm sorry. I know it's rough."

He nodded, his eyes staring intently at his coffee. "Sometimes it is. But he was so cold. A real ass, it's hard to miss him."

His eyes looked into the distance as he spoke. The corners of his mouth turned down betraying his words. She remembered Vergil in secret, her stomach feeling hollow with the thought. Unbeknown to Dante, their shared moment ended when he smiled at her again. Inside she grinned, realizing denial of loving one's brother ran in the family. _I miss him too. _

"Do you always wear that necklace?" she asked, shattering the silence.

"Do you always wear those glasses?"

She touched them lightly. "I don't like people knowing I'm watching," she said with a smile.

He laughed. "That's creepy. They just seem to be hiding beautiful eyes. As for this necklace" he pointed to it, "it was a gift from my mother, so no, it does not come off."

"Do you always lay on the flattery?"

"Is it too much? I could insult you instead."

"That might be more interesting," she smiled.

The sun had begun to lower itself to the horizon. She shook her empty cup of tea and tossed it into a nearby garbage can.

"I should be heading back," she said. He stood up, stretching as he did.

"Me too, lots to do," he stared at her. She stared back. Finally, he broke.

"Can I see you again?"

"Sure," she said. He looked smug.

"Meet me here at five tomorrow. Should I walk you home?"

She stood up and gathered her purse.

"I thought you had things to do," she said.

"Damn, lady. You're like a rock. I'm just being nice."

She waved and walked away smiling. As she left with her back to him, her smile fell. She was the only other person in the world who felt the same way he did and she had to lie to him. The eerie sensation of seeing Vergil who was not Vergil made her feel chilled to the bone. She could not shake the image of him as every time she saw Dante peering at her with his blue eyes. All she could see was Vergil's tortured body, the demons bearing down upon him as he stood defiantly against them. With shaky hands, she pulled out another cigarette, and let the stinging smoke lift away her thoughts as tiny smoke rings.

####

The sun was completely set by the time Evangeline reached her hotel room. She leaned against the door and slid down its length with her face buried in her hands. Her shoulders shook with heaving sobs. Her new life, new body, seemed like a dream, but she was fearful she may wake up her former self and he would not be there. She had only fleeting thoughts of Vergil since her escape until she saw Dante's face as he spoke of his brother. More than other moment in her life, she felt alone. It had been a constant companion since her brother's death. _Brother's murder_, she corrected herself. Her brother was gone and there was no one for her to confess to. Vergil had satiated those feelings and his absence left her longing for more. She felt completely hollow with two voids to fill.

Dante spoke of Vergil as if he were a dead enemy rather than family. The loneliest man in the world, mourning in secret for a man no one else cared for. His eyes stared wistfully in the distance as if looking for someone who would never be there but seeing his face every time he looked in the mirror. He was the ghost of his brother.

Evangeline stood, kicked off her shoes, and walked over to the bed. Crawling underneath it, she removed the bag containing Yamato and pulled out the long sword. She ran her thumb over the shiny black sheath and carried it into be with her, laying it on the pillow. She took her spot next to it.

_This is crazy_, she thought as she closed her eyes.

"Goodnight, Vergil."

####

Vergil waited.

* * *

_**It's a little light on Vergil, but he's stuck so he is just going to have to wait. **_

_**Please review. Criticism are welcome.  
**_


	7. Chapter 7

_**I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the characters, stories, plots, locations, etc. thereof. **_

_**Thank you for the wonderful reviews, they really made my day. **_

_**Please Enjoy. RR  
**_

* * *

"Go away," Evangeline ordered, staring into the inky brown mist in her eyes. It retreated from the whites, and a pair of human eyes stared back. She had been practicing ridding herself of the unsightly demonic residue since wearing the sunglasses had become too cumbersome for her courtship with Dante. He had commented several times, hinting at his growing suspicion. She could make it disappear with concentration, but it often reappeared at unfortunate times when her full attention was diverted.

Dante and Evangeline had been "going out" for several weeks, meeting nearly every day but going their separate ways come nightfall. The amount of time passed in pursuing him had made it necessary for her to pilfer another apartment, this time the story made it to the news. Her patience was wearing thin. She couldn't enjoy the affections of a handsome man when she knew someone was waiting in hell for her return. There seemed to be no other way to steal the amulet except to play towards his affection for her and hope for the best.

Satisfied with the appearance of her eyes, she looked at Yamato lying on the bed.

"Sorry, Vergil. This is taking more time than I thought."

The sword stared at the ceiling with no expression.

"Don't give me that. Your brother is commitment scared and he won't take off the amulet for anything. I am trying my hardest to seduce him, but it is just not working."

Silence.

"What, like you could do any better."

No response.

"That's what I thought."

Evangeline smoothed out her blouse and skirt and readjusted a silver hairpin in her red curls before leaving her room and the hotel. She walked five blocks to a small theater where Dante was waiting in a red convertible. He smiled as he saw her approach and waved. After stepping into the car, he leaned over and kissed her lightly on the cheek. She touched where his lips had been in surprise.

"How are you?" he asked as he started the engine.

"You seem affectionate," she said.

"I've just been thinking about us," he said.

Evangeline held her hair down with her hands as they sped along. He pulled in behind a restaurant with dark tinted windows and a doorman waiting at the entrance. Dante offered his arm, she took it, and they entered the establishment.

The restaurant was slightly dim, with candles lighting each of the tables covered with red tablecloths. The room was ornate with molded trim and mirrors serving as decorations. The hostess looked skeptically at Dante who had changed into a black button down shirt and black slacks but still wore his long red coat. They were seated at a small booth in the corner.

Evangeline raised an eyebrow as she examined the menu.

"This is awfully nice," she said.

Dante looked up from his own menu, a slight smirk on his face.

"We usually just go on walks, or for coffee," she paused in recollection. "Or that one auto show you wanted me to see."

"What, you didn't like the cars?" he joked.

"My point is, what's the occasion?"

He shrugged. "I thought you might like something nicer. And like I said, I've just been thinking about us."

"What exactly about us?" she asked. _Please tell me you're ready to take it further this is getting exhausting_, she thought. Any possibility of liking Dante was diverted by her intent to free Vergil; any affection was due to Vergil's love for his sibling. Dante was, in the end, a mission.

He shrugged in response and the waitress came over to take their drink order.

"I've never asked, do you believe in hell?"

#####

Vergil lay unmoving in his cave. His listless body seemed to be drained of all energy as he stopped struggling against the demons plaguing his mind. It had been days since he had last stirred from his position staring at the stone in front of him. The voices of his mother and brother and his own claiming his guilt had faded into constant background noise. It was only the sound of a large crash and a demon's shrill scream that awoke him.

He peaked through a slit in his hiding spot and scanned the area for demons. One demon of sloth bounded out from behind a marble pillar looking frightened. Vergil's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he watched the demon run away in obvious panic from a pursuing force. From behind him another demon emerged, its head hanging low. Though also a sloth, its body was covered in what looked like black and red sores. Its body moved as if jerked by invisible strings attached at the joints. As it lurched forward, its head fell back and remained staring at the sky. The puppet sloth reached out one hand and grasped the other demon. It shrieked once before they both dissolved into a fine black powder.

The blood lake fell silent then in the distance the roar of a building collapsing echoed across the landscape. He peeked his head from the cave and saw a cloud of dust reaching into the skies of hell in the direction of the massive compound he had escaped from.

"This is interesting," he said and pulled his head back into the cave. A knot of anxiety formed in his stomach and he contemplated the unknown force he had just witnessed. Some of the powder floated past the narrow entrance to his hiding spot. He eyes the substance with caution and sent a quick puff of air its way to deter it from entering.

#####

The waitress took their empty plates, and Dante leaned back rubbing his stomach with satisfaction. Evangeline watched him out of the corner of her eye.

"Are you going to tell me what you have been thinking about or are we going to keep chatting about the weather and the most recent movie you watched?" she asked.

He stopped rubbing his stomach and sat up straight. His blue eyes were stern and looked at her with earnest. She bit her lip in worry.

"I'm going to be as blunt as possible," he said then grabbed her hand. "I really like you, Laura. To be honest, you're not as hot as some of the other girls I've dated." She glared. "But I can talk to you about anything. We have things in common that I've never had with anyone else. We're orphans, we were in and out of facilities, we both lost our twin…"

He ran a hand through his hair and looked around the nearly empty restaurant.

"The point I am trying to make is, that there some things that I haven't told you about myself because I don't know how you will take it. But I don't want to keep secrets from you. I also don't know what you feel about me."

She nodded. _If only you knew_.

"I really care about you Dante," she said. A half-truth, she cared for reasons other than what he would assume. "You can tell me things. I'm completely honest with you and I would expect the same."

"Let's go somewhere else," he said.

He laid down a hundred dollar bill, and they walked out of the restaurant without protest from the waiters and hosts.

Outside, they climbed into his car and he began driving in silence. Though he watched the road, his mind seemed to wonder elsewhere. Evangeline was overjoyed on the inside, but kept her face stoic. The impenetrable Dante was slowly cracking. _Soon_, she thought.

They turned onto an empty, dark road.

"What I wanted to tell you was about my job…"

The car slammed into something large and unmoving. Evangeline's head almost hit the dashboard, but Dante's arm had darted out and held her back. The car had come to a complete stop. She groaned and rubbed her neck. She tried to see what they had run into in the middle of the road, but was dragged out of her seat and out of the convertible.

"Move!" Dante ordered, she scrambled to her feet and stared wildly about her in the dark. She felt her eyes burn and demonic forms lightly lit red in her vision emerged from the darkness. _Oh, shit_, she thought.

Dante placed her behind him, and from within his coat, he removed two pistols.

"I need you to find some shelter," he said as he watched the approaching forms, a smile on his face. She began running, frantically searching for a place to hide. Shots began to fire as she ducked into an alleyway. She peeked around the corner but could only see the bright flashes of gunfire and outlines briefly lit by the bullets firing. Dante whooped loudly as he fought the demons, and Evangeline watched as the gunfire danced around the street and into the air.

She pulled her head back into the alley and covered her ears. In front of her emerged the faint red outline of a demon as it moved silently towards her. She backed up slowly, tripping over the garbage along the wall. She fell.

"Listen, I'm one of you. You don't need to do this," she pleaded. She imagined being carried back into hell and the prison while Vergil waited for the rest of eternity for her return.

The demon only chuckled and opened its snout. White teeth flashed in the darkness. She covered her face with her arms.

A single shot ran out, and the demon's form faded. She felt a hand on her arm that gently pulled her to her feet.

"Are you okay?" Dante asked.

"Yeah, of course." Then she remembered and added. "What the hell is going on?"

Streetlights flickered on and she could see his crushed car standing in the middle of the street.

"Laura, I hunt demons."

#####

Evangeline stared wide eyed at the demon heads pinned to the walls. She held a cup of steaming coffee as she sat at Dante's large desk, covered in papers, magazines, and old food scraps. She wasn't amazed at the presence of the demon heads, just the state of the room and its filthiness. The emotion was convincing, though.

They had walked back after examining the car to find out it was totaled. He kept his arm around her as they walked and she had replaced her sunglasses over her eyes. As they walked, he told her the same familiar story of his origins. She stared at the old jukebox in the corner as he spoke.

"You're really telling the truth, aren't you?" she said.

He nodded.

"So they come after you?" she asked.

Dante nodded again.

"This is absolutely unbelievable and amazing at the same time," she said in fake disbelief.

"I'll protect you, but I understand if this is too much," he said, circling around the desk to where she sat.

She looked up at his face filled with worry and scared to lose her. A wash of guilt came over her heart, and she felt it sink. She reached out and grabbed his hand.

"I'm not leaving. You're the only person I have too," she lied.

The front doors slammed open and Trish and Lady walked inside. Their smiles dropped as they beheld Evangeline and Dante standing very close and holding hands.

"What the hell, Dante," Lady said. Evangeline could not tell if they were angry, shocked, jealous, or protective. What ever it was, they seemed ready to throw Evangeline from the building; probably through a window. Evangeline glanced at the picture on the desk. _She does look like his mother, _she thought.

"Hey, ladies," he said. He pulled Evangeline to her feet. "This is Laura."

Trish put a hand on her hip and Lady crossed her arms.

"This is what you have been doing for the several weeks? Wasting all of our money and not fighting demons," Trish said.

"And you're bringing a woman into our place without our permission," Lady finished.

Dante swaggered forward. "Last time I checked, this was my place," he pointed a finger at them. "And last time I checked I was grown man and didn't need permission to do what I wanted with my time and my money!"

"She affects all of us, Dante," Trish said and crossed her arms like Lady.

"_She _was just attacked and happens to be okay with it. So as far as I'm concerned, she gets to stay," he said, grabbed Evangeline's hand, and stormed towards the stairs, dragging her along with him.

Dante led her down a small, dark hallway and into the bedroom at the end of the hall. He flicked on the light and locked the door. He rested his head against the closed door.

"It's best you stay here tonight," he said still facing the door.

Evangeline looked around the small room. It contained unmade bed, a dresser covered in clothes, a small nightstand with a lamp, and a half-opened closet that revealed more loose clothing. In the corner were several weapons leaning against the wall.

"I don't mind," she said.

He turned around. "I'm sorry about them."

"I've never liked women just for those reasons," she said. He smiled then a small chuckle escaped him.

She sat down on the bed and he followed. She looked down at her hands which were folded in her lap. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the amulet.

"So what really happened to your brother? He was a half-demon too, right?" she finally asked.

He shot off the bed and began pacing.

"You said you would be honest," she said.

"I know," he said, still pacing. He stopped and faced her.

"I killed my brother," he blurted. Evangeline did not react. "He was corrupted and controlled by Mundus and was trying to kill me. So I killed him before he could do it."

_He let you_, she thought. His shoulders slumped forward. Evangeline stood up and gently brushed a few strands from his eyes. They were filled with tears. She had never seen Vergil's eyes with tears before.

"I killed my brother too," she said. His head shot up as he grabbed her hand.

"He wanted me to," she continued. "So I did it because I couldn't say no. It doesn't make you a bad person. I'm sure where ever he is, he forgives you."

The moments after those words were pregnant with tension. Dante wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her towards him, pressing his lips against hers. His breath was warm, his lips were hot; his kisses seemed to melt into her. She ran her hands through his hair as he kissed the tender hollow of her neck. She closed her eyes and saw Vergil's staring back in the darkness.

Dante's hands worked quickly, and as he attempted to remove her shirt she stopped him. He raised no protest and lowered her on to the bed. She helped him to undress, his lips never parting hers. Swiftly, he removed the amulet from his neck and placed in on the nightstand next to their heads.

He paused. "I love you," he said. They dissolved into the shadows with heated kisses and earnest embraces. She imagined the lean form of Vergil pressed against her, his eyes cool in the darkness. As if sensing it, Dante's kisses became more intense and he took her without hesitation.

#####

It was as if hell had become the hell for demons rather than humans. Vergil heard their unholy shrieks in the distance and could not tell why they were occurring. Several more infected demons had wondered by, but did not stop as they were pulled by invisible strings. He did not know what form of demon had caused it, but it seemed that lord of compound and his minions were besieged by an unknown force. His ignorance left him unsettled, and he hoped that he remained unseen.

#####

The sun shown through the thin curtain and Evangeline began to stir. She tried to push herself up, only to realize her arm was trapped under Dante. Her eyes immediately went to the red amulet sparkling on the desk. As she awoke, he opened his eyes.

She kissed his shoulder and he turned towards her, freeing her arm in the process. He kissed her on the lips and she brushed his hair away.

"Good morning," he said, stretching. She rested her head on his chest.

"Good morning," she replied.

"So what did you do last night," he said and raised his eyebrows. She smiled and adjusted her blouse which she had kept on through the whole night.

"Women and their insecurities," Dante said when he noticed the motion.

"I have my reasons," she said.

He rolled out of bed and began searching the floor. Finding a satisfactory pair of pants, he pulled them on.

"Coffee?" he asked.

"Sure."

He smiled and left. She listened to his footsteps walking down the stairs. When she could no longer hear him, her eyes once again returned to the amulet. She grabbed it and stood, looking for her purse.

Dante couldn't stop smiling as he made the coffee in the downstairs kitchen. Even when an angry Lady walked into the kitchen to grab a piece of toast before disappearing out the door, he did not stop smiling. He set two mugs of black coffee on the desk and sat down in chair, crossing his legs on the desk.

Ten minutes later, he heard footsteps coming down the stairs, and saw a mess of red curls.

"It's hot," he said. She grabbed a mug and took a cautious sip.

"I really have to get going," she said. He frowned and pulled her close.

"What for?"

"I do have other things to do, like work," she said and kissed him.

"Alright, but be careful," he said.

She grabbed his hand and set down the mug of coffee.

"I'll see you later," she said. He gave her one last kiss, and watched as she walked out the door. He smiled again.

Outside, Evangeline walked briskly down the block and around the corner. She felt the lump in her purse and ran.

#####

Dante did not move from his desk but remained for several hours, sipping his coffee and thinking over the night's events. A warm feeling filled his entire body and his thoughts didn't wonder to that of demons and killing. Something they hadn't done in a long time. He was pouring over an auto magazine when Nero burst through the door followed by a concerned Kyrie.

"Nero? What the hell are you doing here?" he said, dropping the magazine.

Nero's eyes were wide and he seemed almost scared to speak. After a moment, he found his voice.

"It's Yamato," he said.

"What did you do to it? Don't tell me you broke it," Dante growled as he stood up.

"No. Someone took it," Nero said.

"What!"

Kyrie stepped forward, placing herself between Nero and the angrily approaching Dante.

"It's my fault, Dante. I let someone in the house with me when Nero was gone. He had left Yamato. She needed to use the phone and…" Kyrie looked down. "She seemed so kind and polite and just needed help."

Dante stopped himself from tackling Nero.

"The next thing I know, it was gone," Kyrie finished.

"We've been looking everywhere for it, but people said that they saw someone like that on the roads. We thought we could find her on our own, but…" Nero trailed off.

Dante took a deep breath. "We'll get it back. Someone is going to know where that sword is. It doesn't just disappear. What did the thief look like?"

"She had red hair," Kyrie said.

Dante's stomach dropped, but only for a second. "What else?"

"I don't know," Kyrie said. Dante grabbed her shoulders.

"What else!"

Her eyes became as large as dinner plates.

"I couldn't see her eyes. She was wearing sunglasses. She said her name was Laura Barton."

Dante released Kyrie and dashed up the stairs to his room. Frantically, he examined the room for anything out of place. Everything was present except for his amulet. He checked the floor and under the bed, but there was no sign of it.

He ran back downstairs and past a bewildered Kyrie and Nero. Bursting through the door, he swung his head back and forth looking up and down the street, though he knew she wouldn't be there.

Dante yelled and put his fist into the stone wall, crushing the brick until it resembled his heart.

#####

For the past three days, Evangeline had been unable to sleep. With every step she imagined Dante pouncing upon her and stabbing her through the heart. She had left the city immediately after gathering her things from the hotel room. On foot, she had made it to the highway and caught a ride with a group of college students heading home for a holiday.

In a gas station bathroom, she had changed into a pair of jeans, black boots, a tee-shirt, and her leather jacket. Her sunglasses had resumed their usual position on her face. In the gas station, she had found a map of the area and located the hospital she had stayed at. She vaguely remembered the street signs she had passed while riding in the old man and woman's truck and determined roughly where she had emerged from the woods.

After buying a small stock of protein bars, food, water, and a few toiletries, she wondered into town a little further and stole a truck from the back of a small video/book store after checking for cameras. Before leaving, she swapped the license plates with a nearby minivan and headed towards the woods where the portal to hell was located. Along the way, she stopped by a men's clothing store in a nearby town to grab some of the essentials, expecting Vergil would need them. She parked the stolen car in the brush next to the woods and began searching, leaving in the car everything but Yamato, the amulet, and the food.

It had been seven hours of wondering through the woods, looking for her pile of rocks that was supposed to act as a signpost. Yamato had grown heavy on her back, and the mosquitoes had made several meals out of her. She leaned against a tree, placing Yamato over her knees.

"Okay. Listen. You want to find your master, right? Why don't you do something," she said. The sword didn't respond. With a sigh, she stood and resumed her quest. A short time later, the sword began hum. She stepped forward and it stopped. She stepped to the right and it started again. She followed the sound of its humming until she reached the tree with the strategically placed design under it. A few of the stones had been kicked out of place, but it was still recognizable. She smiled and thought of Vergil's eyes. They were smiling this time.

She counted her steps forward from the tree and stopped at the point she believed the portal to be. Her eyes burned, and she could see ripples in the grass and dirt like those rising above cement on a hot summer's day. She pulled Yamato out of its sheath and stopped the sword into the ground, pushing until it stuck. Then she pulled the amulet from her neck and held it firmly out in front of and above the hilt of the sword. Her heart began to pound and her hands shake.

"Bring back Vergil," she said and dropped it.

The amulet remained suspended above the hilt of the sword before descending into it, disappearing with a bright flash of white. Around the sword, a pattern appeared with archaic symbols. She stepped back from the place, and the sword began sinking into the ground.

#####

Vergil could feel Yamato getting closer and closer. His entire body shook with the anticipation. Its power reverberated through him, rattling his bones. Steadily it grew until he felt the power burst through above him.

He darted from his enclave and climbed the tower of rubble, smashing his knees and tearing his hands to get to the top. He leapt through the portal, his hand outstretched above him. The hilt of the sword fell into his palm as he disappeared into the portal and tumbled head over heels, never letting go of Yamato.

#####

Vergil landed on his shoulder in the grass, nearly impaling himself on his own blade when he landed on top of it. His nose was inches away from the blade. He sat up and ran his hands along it, feeling the wash of power overwhelm him. It was like fire coursing through his veins, filling every muscle and bone with its invincibility. Next to him was his mother's red amulet. He gingerly picked it up and turned it over in his palm.

The wind blew across his face and he almost cried. Upon it were the sweet smells of grass and trees and the moisture of a recent rain. The sun was setting, but a few rays broke through the branches in the west and pressed against his body. He spread his arms wide to feel it. There were sounds, life, everything felt real and soft. Even the air in his lungs seemed different, like inhaling the sweetest perfume.

From his left, a low bush rustled. He glanced over and saw a familiar mop of red curls. She looked nearly unrecognizable with her sunglasses and filled out figure. For the first time since he had met her, she was clean, dressed, and smiling. Evangeline waved meekly at him. He stood up and stumbled over to her, running his hands over her face and hair.

"You feel so soft," he said and pressed his cheek against hers. The harsh feeling that touch brought in hell was gone and he could feel the world as it actually was. She could have been a bear and he would have still caressed her with the same earnestness.

"I'm free," he whispered and stared into her face. Her nose was wrinkled against his odor, though she tried to smile.

"I'm glad you're okay," she said.

"Yeah," he said breathless before crumpling. It was like a demonic sledgehammer had slammed into his stomach. He realized that he was actually starving.

Through blurred vision, he watched Evangeline dig through a small bag. She pulled out what looked like a granola bar and unwrapped it. Pressing it to his lips, she urged him to eat slowly.

"It's one of those protein bars guys use to put on weight. Don't eat it too fast your body isn't used to food."

He ignored her and shoved the whole thing in his mouth. The bar usually would have tasted like chalk and bran cereal, but to him seemed to be a four course dinner of the finest food.

#####

As Vergil enjoyed her rations of protein bars and water, she led him to the stream she had found when she had first emerged from the underworld. He could carry himself most of the way, but occasionally stumbled. His body seemed so light, and though he had fared better than her, his bones still stuck out. Around his eyes were dark hallows and his cheeks were sunken in, though at that moment they bulged with food. Only his blue eyes stared out in ecstasy at the world.

"Come on," she said. "Let's get you cleaned up."

She waded into the cold water with him, holding Yamato and the amulet as he plunged head first into the deepest part of the stream. Dirt and blood poured off him in a black liquid. He scrubbed his fingers against his scalp and his long white hair eventually emerged from the grime. He rose from the water with a gasp. The water shocked his aching body but seemed to soothe the surface of his soul.

He stood up and stared at Evangeline. Her smile was barely visible under the glasses. It disturbed him not to see her eyes and he snatched them away, tossing them into the flowing stream. The demonic essence floated underneath, but the green of her irises remained untouched.

"You don't need to hide them from me," he said sternly. He climbed from the water, his belly full and his body clean. She pulled out clothes and a pair of shoes from her bag and placed them next to him. With her back turned, he changed into the simple cotton shirt and jeans, feeling as if he had stepped into the finest silk.

Together in silence, they walked back to where Evangeline had parked the stolen car. She kept her arm around his torso as they walked, in case he should fall. When they reached the vehicle, she loaded Yamato into the back seat and Vergil climbed in on the passenger side. Climbing in behind the wheel, she looked over at him. His lips were curled in a slight smile as he stared at her. She felt a lightness in her heart as a space was filled.

"I wasn't sure you would come back," he said.

She smiled at him. "We need to stick together don't we. Mitigate our own feelings of guilt."

"Don't put yourself down. You make better company than that," he said. They paused, and silence overwhelmed the air between them.

"I missed you," she confessed.

"Me too," he said softly. She started the engine. It purred for a few seconds before she put it into drive.

She turned her head to speak to him, but his head had slumped down and his chest went in and out with the heavy breathing of sleep.

She sighed and turned her eyes towards the road.

* * *

**_So tell me what you think. Please review, criticisms are welcomed. _**


	8. Chapter 8

**_I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the characters, stories, plots, locations, etc thereof. _**

**_Again, thank you to all who read. I didn't realize people were so shy about reviewing. _**

**_Please Enjoy. More action later to come. RR  
_**

* * *

Evangeline was in the bathroom, drying her hair with a towel. After she was satisfied, she slipped into an oversized shirt.

"I don't understand what's going on," Vergil said from the other room.

She walked out to where Vergil was lying on the bed, his back propped against the headboard, remote in hand. She leaned forward to see what he was staring at on the television.

"You're not supposed to know what's going on. It has no meaning," she said. He had apparently tuned into to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. He frowned at her and switched off the television.

"That's ridiculous," he replied. "Humans waste their time on the most trivial things."

"I don't find catchy dance numbers to be trivial," Evangeline said.

They were in another hotel. The fifth one since Vergil had been freed. They were on their way to Central City, according to Vergil. If he had not been so weak, they would have already arrived in the city. Unfortunately, he couldn't drive the car and Evangeline couldn't drive for twenty-four hours straight. It was only another six hours the next day before they reach their destination.

In the two weeks since his return to the human world, a constant stream of food had added about twenty pounds to his frame. His face was clear and there were no longer shadows darkening his eyes. They had also cut his hair to an acceptable length just around his chin. For past few days he had snuck out at night into abandon alley ways or woods to practice with Yamato. It was obvious the effect the sword had. He walked taller and his body seemed to ripple under the surface with power. Occasionally, Evangeline would see him glowing faintly blue.

She sat on the bed next to him and glanced around the tiny beige room.

"I am so tired of staying in hotels," she said.

"Unless you want to try stealing priceless from a museum, I suggest you wait until Central City."

She leaned back. "So why are we going there again?"

"It's where I used to live and was hired as a mercenary. I have an account there along with most of my belongings," he said, climbing under the covers.

"How much?"

He shrugged. "After interest, I'm not sure. I did a job when I was eighteen for a mob boss and he paid me around 50,000 dollars. I put it into an account and left it alone because I didn't need it."

"What did you do as a mercenary?"

He looked straight into her eyes, his eyebrows raised. She raised her hands in supplication.

"You'll start doing your devil hunting and mercenary jobs. What will I do?" she asked. "I don't exist any more."

"I don't really care what you end up doing as long as you aren't in the way," he said.

"That's a lie," she said.

"So you can be my minion and do whatever I ask," he said with his back turned.

"Shouldn't you be my minion? Without me you'd still be in hell," she said, glaring at his back.

"I'm more powerful," he stated simply. She smirked and slid under the covers, turning so that they were back to back, a foot of separation between them.

"I need a name I can use. Laura Barton is probably wanted for grand theft."

"Not to mention my brother is probably hunting you down because you broke his heart."

"It wasn't my intention," she said.

"Trollop," he said. He smirked, sensing her growing agitation.

"Well, it wasn't the worst thing I've ever done."

There was a long pause.

"Was he any good?" he asked, the curiosity burning past his usual control.

"Jealous of your brother? I thought you wouldn't care," she said.

"Jealousy implies I want what he has or had in this case?"

"Well in that case, he was the best sex I've ever had. Then again, it had been a while."

He glanced over his shoulder at her. She stared at her nails.

"Goodnight," he said and rolled over.

She reached over and pressed the button on the remote for the lights. Placing a pillow between the two of them, she lied down. After the rustling stopped there was silence.

"If it helps, I was thinking of you the whole time."

#####

Evangeline shot up from her position. She looked around the dark room for the entity she believed to be there. Vergil was silent at her side; his chest rising and falling. Realizing she had been holding her breath, she cleared her lungs with one long sigh. She lay back down, facing the door. As she settled in, she suddenly opened her eyes. Staring at her were two green eyes.

She sat up again, the figure rose. A face she had stared at for many years. It was marred by open sores of black and red.

"It's coming," her brother whispered. He dissolved into dust. Evangeline leapt after his fading form.

She awoke as she fell, the sun just starting to rise. Her elbow stung painfully and she rubbed it with one hand while looking around for the dust.

Vergil leaned over the bed and stared at her.

"What did you do?"

"It was just a dream," she said.

"Then you shouldn't be on the floor," he said. She stood up, pushing off from the bed. The alarm clock read 6:34 am. Vergil got out of the bed and pulled on a shirt hanging over the small chair in the corner.

"What are you doing?"

"Since we're up, we might as well finish driving. I can get there in time to withdraw the money and get to the storage facility," he said, finishing buttoning up his shirt.

Evangeline quickly started gathering her things.

#####

Vergil kept his eyes on the road. The radio played music softly. He wrinkled his nose when he caught a whiff of Evangeline's cigarette. She tapped the ash out the window, caring enough to keep it open to take away some of the smell. Despite this, a small halo of smoke surrounded her head. That morning, she had decided to hide her eyes behind a pair of sunglasses again.

"You know those are bad for you," he said. She shrugged. His eyes flashed briefly to her and then back to the road. She seemed distracted, missing an opportunity for a clever dig at him.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"Just a bad dream," she said and dropped the cigarette butt out the window.

"We're both having bad dreams," he said.

"I know; it was just a dream about my brother. He talked to me. He doesn't usually talk to me," she said rubbing her temples with both hands.

"What happened?" Vergil asked after a pause.

She pulled out another cigarette and placed it between her lips but didn't light it.

"I dreamt I woke up and he was next to the bed, covered in these red and black sores like he was sick. Then he told me it was coming and disappeared into ash."

Vergil remembered the demons in the underworld and the terrible screams in the distance. "Why would you dream him like that?"

She shrugged. "Remember when I told you that he was in a bad place because of how he died? It's a myth in the cult. Not a place of evil but of pain and it infects what ever touches it. I suppose I was just imagining him like that, infected."

"Does it ever escape?" he asked. His mind desperately sought an explanation. He hated the idea of being caught off guard.

She stared at him, puzzled.

"No, not that I know of. It's like a spiritual place, not like hell where you can enter physically. I mean, I suppose it can be summoned like any spiritual force but who would want to do that? It doesn't exist on its own, it needs something else. In any case, it's just a story for a silly cult. Why the interest?"

"Curiosity," he said. His shoulders tensed as if expecting an unseen enemy.

#####

The bank teller didn't know what to do when the pair showed up. Vergil had on ill-fitting clothes and no identification and Evangeline in her sunglasses looked as though she may rob the place.

"I need to withdraw the money in my account and the item I have the safety deposit box," Vergil repeated.

The man started to sweat.

"I'm sorry, but without identification I can't do anything."

"You took a finger print and there should be a photo on file," he said. The teller motioned for an older man in the back. He approached the window as the young teller stepped aside.

"What can I do for you?"

"I have no identification, but I need my money and key," he said. "I used to work for Mr. Antonio."

The old man smiled and nodded recognizing the criminal lord's name.

"In that case, press your finger against the device."

Vergil did and the tiny machine beeped. He shook his shoulders, his patience wearing thin with the bank. Luckily, no other actions needed to be taken against the younger teller.

"John, count out his money. Right this way Mr. Sparda. We'll take you to your items in the safe."

He followed the man behind the counter, giving Evangeline a firm look warning her to stay where she was. She stared uninterested at the ceiling and rolled an unlit cigarette between her fingers.

Vergil walked with the man past the clerks in their cubicles and to the heavy wood door in the back. From there, they entered a security-locked chamber that required a code. Inside was the massive steel door to the vault.

"You've been gone a long time," the old man said. "Mr. Antonio has had some issues since then. Couldn't find anyone else to take care of his "special" problems."

"How long has he owned you?" Vergil asked. The old man chuckled.

"Fifteen years ago he kept me from going bankrupt. No I handle his financial assets and his…" he looked at Vergil. "Clients."

The vault opened. Quickly, the old man went to one of the drawers and opened it with a small key. From inside he withdrew a small parcel. Vergil took it from him and walked out the door.

"Tell Antonio I'm back in town," he said over his shoulder.

At the front, he collected Evangeline and his money.

"What was that all about?"

They climbed into the car.

"The mob dabbles in the occult to take care of some of their problems. I take care of the problems that arise their stupidity," he replied.

"Are we going to be attacked by demons?"

He started the engine. "Probably."

#####

Inside the parcel was small key to a shed in a storage facility. They removed the few boxes from it and Vergil drove to another hotel. A far nicer one than they had been staying in. The suite he rented had a living room, a small kitchen, a separated bedroom, and a bath with a Jacuzzi.

"Well this is nice," Evangeline said as she entered. She dropped the boxes and backpack she had been carrying and quickly explored the rooms.

"Why the one room?" she asked when she emerged from the bedroom.

"I didn't think you would mind," he said, pulling Yamato from its hiding spot inside a black duffel bag. She grinned at him.

"I figured you would," she said. "Unless you're like all twins and wants what the other has."

His face was stone as he glanced at her. "I had you before he did."

He walked over to her and removed her sunglasses.

"You shouldn't hide them," he said. "We'll stay here until I find a permanent place."

"How long did you want me to stay?" she asked, staring at the floor.

Vergil tilted her chin up. She smelled sweet with tobacco. "I didn't know you intended to leave."

He walked over to where the boxes were sitting on the floor, his heart beating fast. She walked over to the bags and began removing items and placing them in the drawers. He listened to her moving and smiled at the sound of her breathing.

#####

Dante crossed off the last number from the piece of scratch paper on his desk and slammed down the phone. The entire room was a mess of papers and a few broken pieces of furniture. He leaned back in his chair, his fists clenched.

"No luck," Lady said, walking from the back room.

Dante slammed a fist on the desk. "It's like she's a damn ghost!"

"It hasn't been that long. Someone is bound to spot it. A sword like that doesn't just disappear. Besides, she was probably a thief or was hired for the job so someone will probably buy it and we'll catch her," Lady said.

"She has my amulet," he said. "I want her now."

"You haven't left this building in days. I know you're angry that she tricked you," she grabbed his face and forced him to look at her. "But there are real demons and real people who need your help."

"She probably left town," he sighed. Lady growled and walked away, adjusting Kalina Ann on her back. Dante's mind wondered back to green eyes and the festering pit in his stomach.

#####

Evangeline's eyes flickered from her book to Vergil. He dropped the items he was holding onto the bed in front of her. She reached over and grabbed the book bound in worn leather.

"Ooh," she said and flipped through the pages. "Wait… this is a spell book. What do you think I am, a witch?"

She picked up the wicked looking dagger off of the bed. It was about a foot long, curved, one side have wicked protrusions so it liked like the raised hackles of a cat.

"And I'm supposed to kill someone."

"If you're going to stay, then your going to make yourself useful," he pointed at her eyes. "Those are demon eyes. You can see more than I can sense. What ever they can see, you can see too. Those are your most valuable possession."

He grabbed the book. "This is going to teach you how to use them. Scrying and visions are things your eyes will let you do. You just need to learn."

"This," he said, picking up the knife. "Is so you can protect yourself. We are going to be attacked and your life will be in danger. I will try to protect you, but if I'm not there, you need to be on your own. If you behave, I'll teach you how to use it."

She stared at the items in front of her and ran her hand through her hair. It was like a chasm had suddenly opened in front of her and her entire world had caved in. Her eyes wondered around the room and she wondered if it were all real. Reaching a hand back, she touched the scars hidden by her shirt. Then she looked at Vergil. His eyes were steady, his flesh solid and real. He was there with her; not a memory, not an obsession, and not a in the distance waiting to be rescued. All that she had imagined since escaping was there.

He lightly grabbed her face between his hands. _He has really changed_, she thought as she stared at the face no longer possessed of the signs of years of torture.

"This is your life now. You're not human any more, and the reality is that you know things that you will not escape from and that you will be hunted. You can't go back to your life before this happened. Hell doesn't leave you," he said softly but firmly. "I'm sorry."

He let go of her face and stood up, heading for the door to the living room. She stared at the items in front of her as his words sunk in.

"If I had the chance to do it again, I would," she said. He stopped and turned to her.

"I would so I could be with you. I don't want to go back. I don't want to be alone again." She took a deep breath and waited.

Vergil turned back towards the door and walked out. In the living room, he slumped against a chair. His eyes wondered back to the bedroom door. His heart seemed to sink lower and lower into his body, overburdened. He still felt so weak, unable to accept that he no longer wanted to be alone. He had saved her, but he still couldn't save himself. He had suddenly ended up right where he had started, alone and desperate for power. He lowered himself into the chair, placing his head in his hands.

#####

Evangeline stepped out of the bedroom. It had turned dark and the living room was filled with the shadows of various pieces of furniture. She saw the outline of Vergil's head and shoulders sitting in the chair, staring out the window of the hotel room and onto the brightly lit city streets.

"Do you want to know what your problem is?" she said. He didn't move. She walked over and stood in front of him, blocking his view of the city.

"You feel too deeply," she said. His eyes traveled to hers, bright even in the darkness. "You feel it so much that it possesses you and you disregard everything else. That's why you can't save yourself because you can't let go."

She knelt. "Your mother's death. You felt it, and the guilt ate you up until all that was left was you searching for power so that you never could feel it again. Your brother, _you family_, you ignored. Now it is guilt for feeling guilty, for doing those terrible things. You just can't let them go."

She stood up and began walking back towards the bedroom. Turning, she glanced at his still unmoving form.

"Saving me didn't mean that you saved yourself. God doesn't need to forgive you; he helps those who help themselves."

In the bedroom, she lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. Eventually, she closed her eyes.

The bed moved and she awoke. Above her, she saw Vergil staring down. She began to sit up and he moved to sit next to her. They gazed at each other in silence, the sounds of cars drifting in from the street below.

"You're right," he said.

"I know."

"I don't want to be alone."

He wrapped his around her hesitantly. As she leaned back, he followed, resting his head against her small shoulder. He could hear her heartbeat, quick like that of a bird's. In the darkness, he glowed faintly blue in her vision. He sighed deeply, and thousands of moments of pain, guilt, and shame left him. With it, the vision of his mother screaming and his brother, as a child, running. As he inhaled, he saw the vision of Dante, a man before him and the memory of him and his brother, sitting on their mother's lap as children.

He pulled himself onto his elbows and stared down at the green eyes staring back. In the darkness, he caught her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he pulled away.

"I didn't give you permission," she said with a flash of white teeth. Vergil smiled back and stole a kiss again.

"I love you," she said. He brushed a curl back from her face. "Do you love me?"

"Yes, but don't expect me to say it often," he said.

"You're an ass."

"Yes, but I doubt you would want it any other way."

He settled in next to her, his arm draped over her waist. He traced the exposed scars on her back with his fingers. When he heard her breathing slow, and become steady and deep. He closed his eyes.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I heard that."

#####

Evangeline screamed. The demon rushed towards her as she scurried down an alley. Its giant tail trashed as it ran, knocking over trashcans and overturning garbage. As she neared the exit of the alley, a shadow jumped from the roof and the demon stopped dead in its tracks. It stared dumbfounded at her as she wiggled her fingers in farewell, and fell neatly into two pieces.

"That was easy, again. I don't want to be bait any more, Vergil," she called out. In a blur, Vergil appeared next to her, his blue coat flapping as he stopped. He had gotten into the habit of slicking his hair back so that it exposed his entire face. Not something she was particularly fond of, but there was not anything she could say or do.

"Learn to scry and you won't have to be," he said. He started walking away, his black boots making a click as he walked. She followed after, glancing one last time at the demon.

"So how much was that?" she asked.

"About 10, 000," he replied. The demon had taken up residence in the warehouse owned by a local politician. To avoid any rumors of satanic ritual or strange experiments, he called them.

Evangeline was shocked at how prevalent the demon presence was in Central City. With the amount of hell fiends running around, some humanlike some not, and human helpers, she assumed that someone would notice. As it turned out, she had spent twenty-five years completely ignorant of it.

"Are you going to club tonight," Vergil asked as they walked down the street.

"I don't think so. I heard some people talking about strange demons the last time I worked, but aside from that…" she shrugged. "I don't know what anyone means by strange demons. They're all pretty strange to me."

She pulled a cigarette and lighter from the pocket of her black coat, and lit the cigarette as she walked. Vergil had her moonlighting as a dancer/waitress in a club at the suggestion of a client. Apparently, most of the high-rollers and those involved with the demonic aspect of the city congregated there. She eavesdropped on conversation and occasionally made a few dollars.

A month before, they had moved from the hotel to a larger condo; a gift from one of Vergil's clients for saving his life. When she thought about where she was only three months earlier, an eerie feeling came over her and she worried that the past was too close and would consume her and Vergil.

As Evangeline became consumed in her thoughts, Vergil watched her out of the corner of his eye. She walked with her head down, puffing on her cigarette, blowing the smoke out of the corner of her mouth.

They arrived at the entrance to their building. Unlocking the door, they walked inside and rode the elevator to the top floor and their home. Vergil set Yamato down in its designated corner and removed his coat, revealing a black vest over a white shirt. Evangeline snuffed out her cigarette in a small ashtray on the table.

"This all seems blissfully boring," she said.

Vergil smirked and grabbed her, bringing her lips to his in a crushing kiss, his blood still pumping from the kill. He removed her blouse and ran his hands along the scars on her back. She pushed him away.

"I'm making things more exciting," he said and pulled her back. She gave in and bit his lip, and he lowered her into the couch. Breath hot against each other's skin and blood rushing, they embraced one another in desperate want and desire.

######

"Hey, Dante," Trish called.

"Yeah," was Dante's reply from his sleeping position on the couch.

"Lady just called. She said that she fought some really strange demons. They were weak, but she never saw anything like that before. I've been hearing things about this. Someone said they saw a strange one chasing after another demon. I think we should investigate."

"Whatever you think," he said waving a hand. The phone rang and Trish picked up the phone. Dante's attention turned back to his nap. A shadow passed over him and he opened on eye.

"They have the password," Trish said, holding out the phone. He snatched the phone from her hand.

"Devil May Cry."

"Hey, Dante. It's Chris Mine from Central City. I sent out that message you sent me about the sword you had stolen. The big katana. One of my guys said that he saw it with some guy outside of a club."

Dante shot up.

"Yeah, he also said something about a red head with a real bad attitude who started working there about a month ago. I don't know if it's your sword, but you might want to check it out."

"What club?" Dante asked, rushing over to the desk for a piece of paper. He quickly scrawled the name down.

"Thanks, man," he said and hung up the phone.

"Who was that?"

Dante held up the sheet up of paper. "Grab Lady and Nero. We're going to Central City."

* * *

**_I decided they were in love. Please review. Let me know what comments you have, suggestions, criticisms etc. _**


	9. Chapter 9

_**I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the stories, characters, plots, locations, etc, thereof. I do not own Edgar Allen Poe's work "Alone" or any of the lines in it. **_

_**Thank you to my reviewers tora-katana, ita-chan, raralovesrock, and quanta; I'm glad you like it. Thank you to all who have read. **_

_**Happy daylight savings!**_

_**Please Enjoy. RR, any comment is welcomed.  
**_

* * *

"Do you even know where we're going?" Lady said from the back seat.

"Of course I do," Dante snapped, eyeing the street signs. Central City was laid out like a giant grid, but the street signs made it nearly impossible to navigate with its endless numbers and directions and what Dante could have sworn were duplicate street numbers.

"According to the map, it shouldn't be much farther," Trish said. His eyes narrowed and he imagined finding the traitorous redhead. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter.

#####

"Hey, honey," Evangeline said, smiling. She put a drink down in front of the middle-aged man she had addressed and did small twirl in her skirt and silver blouse. Vergil was out on a job that night, so she had decided to work at the club to see if any information would come up. Over the month, she had managed to pick up a few hints that Vergil used to get himself hired or to protect current clients.

It was a slow night in the club; most of the men entering were regulars who only bought the cheapest drinks so they could watch the girls sashay around the rooms.

She made her way to the doorway next to the bar that led to a back room with a tray balanced on one hand. Behind the door was a small hallway, and at the end of that was a room luxuriously decorated in red velvet and mirrors. She walked in, smelling the sweet cigar smoke that left the room in a permanent haze. Three men in suits stood at various corners of the room and two older men and leaned down at the table with a young woman. On the table were lines of white, straws, and razorblades. She eyed the contents as she walked by.

"You're not very attractive for a waitress," one of the older men said, sniffing.

She set a bottle of bourbon down in front of him with two glasses.

"Attractive women don't keep secrets," she said, pointing her head towards the woman kneeling next to the table.

"You can have a line if you don't tell anyone about this," he said. She paused then shook her head.

"I'll pass."

"How do I know that you will keep my secrets if I don't give you anything? It's mighty suspicious that you won't take my gift. At least have a few drinks."

One of the men standing in suits stepped in front of the door, a hand hidden within his coat. He nudged her and she knelt down. She thought about what Vergil would think if he found out, then strangely, she remembered all the times she done something to make her mother worry on nights that she didn't come home or call.

"So as I was saying, Michael's hired someone "special" from very far out of town to take care of Mr. Antonio tonight," the old man said.

#####

Vergil swiftly stalked his prey, following it from the rooftops above. The demon scrambled through the alleys and streets, pulling a cap far down over its deformed face. Eventually, it came to the gates surrounding a large brick house. Vergil darted down to the street, and watched as it entered. He jumped up, grabbing the top bar of the ten foot iron fence, and propelled himself over into the yard.

In the shadow of a tree he hid. The devil neared the front door of the house. From his hiding spot, Vergil darted out stabbing the demon through the stomach. He withdrew his sword, feeling the tug as it was released from the body. The demon gurgled in its throat.

With one hand, he supported the body that was being slowly drained of life. He walked up to the door and knocked, hiding his form behind that of the demon's.

The door opened.

"It about time you…"

Vergil dropped the body.

"Michael, I presume," Vergil said. The man stared wildly out from the doorway, his eyes wide. He stumbled back from the door and began running into the house.

Vergil stepped inside and closed the door.

#####

Three pairs of eyes stared at the brightly lit entrance to the club from the alleyway while another pair of eyes glanced around, bored.

"I don't think she's there," Nero said.

"Shut up, kid!" Dante said.

With everyone person who walked out, they would suddenly perk up from their positions in anticipation, but so far their target had not emerged.

Dante leaned back against the wall along with Lady while Trish crouched near the trashcan Nero was sitting on.

"Maybe he got it wrong. He didn't even know for sure if it was Laura," Trish said.

"We have to at least try," Lady replied.

Someone walked out of the door; a brunette. They all settled back into their positions.

#####

Evangeline stumbled out the door of the club, attempting to put her coat on. She danced slightly and hummed to herself as she fumbled with a cigarette from her purse. Swaying back and forth, she managed to put it in her mouth but couldn't coordinate her fingers enough to flick the lighter. She dropped it and began walking, tripping every few steps. Her head was hazy and the lights seemed to dance around her. The streets were dark save for the few lights of the club and the concrete was slick with dew and slime from the trash.

She rubbed her eyes as they began to tingle, peering down the street. From an entrance of an alley ahead, she could see a red light pulsing and the image of electricity cackling from within it.

Evangeline halted her steps and from the fog of her mind, she remembered and began running in the other direction.

She could hear the heavy fall of boots behind her as she ran down the different alleys, attempting to lose them. Her heart pounded faster and faster matching the sounds of their steps coming closer and closer.

Suddenly, she was seeing stars as her head slammed into the wall, a mass of muscle holding her against it. She struggled against Dante's arm, which he had pressed against her shoulders. His teeth were bared, and his blue eyes stared out like that of a ravaged animal, ready to tear her limb from limb.

"Where's my amulet!" he shouted, spittle flying.

"I don't know!" she said.

He slammed her head against the wall and this time she saw colors.

"The sword?"

"I don't have it. I don't know!"

A sharp pain seared through her shoulder and she couldn't breathe for a moment. Hot blood trickled down her chest from the knife he had stabbed in her right shoulder. She saw hell.

"Where is it!"

"Jesus, Dante! You don't want to kill her."

Evangeline couldn't tell whose voice it was. He twisted the knife.

"Tell me, Laura."

Blood began to pool in the back of her throat, hindering words from forming.

"My name…" she choked. "It's not Laura, its Evangeline."

She tasted iron. Her mind recalled Vergil in his cell, his lips mouthing the words that he would protect her. Anger passed over her as she realized he was not there.

"I don't care. Tell me what I want to know," he sneered.

"I can't. I don't know," she said. Dante reached behind him; Evangeline heard the click of a safety.

"Dante."

Dante's grip weakened as he heard the familiar voice. It was older, rougher, but distinct from all the others and one he never thought he would hear again. He turned his head and saw Vergil standing with his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Let her go," Vergil said. Dante stared at him, unmoving. Evangeline grew fearful that he may kill her out of spite. Then she felt Dante's arm slacken and felt the knife slide of her shoulder, and she fell to the ground. Quickly, she crawled with one arm over to where Vergil was standing, the other arm clutching her wound.

Vergil's hand dropped from his sword. Evangeline sat, staring at the two men with wide eyes.

"Oh, my god," Lady said.

The air was heavy with anticipation. At any moment it seemed that they would burst into fight, swords flashing. Dante took a step forward, then another until he was standing in front of his brother.

Vergil was older than he remembered. His face more gaunt and his eyes deeper set within his sockets. However, they stared out with the same cold intensity as they always had.

Dante snatched his hands out towards his brother and pulled him into a tight embrace. He held on to him as he might fly off the face of the Earth and into space. Vergil raised his own arms and grabbed a hold of Dante. They both remained silent as Evangeline, Trish, Nero, and Lady looked on, mouths hanging open. It seemed that both men had forgotten about any type of manly expression or cold, hard indifference in order to revel in the moment of reunion.

Vergil stepped away and removed the red amulet from around his neck; it fell easily into two pieces. He gave one half to Dante and remained clutching the other. They stared at each other, their eyes mirrored reflections of blue.

"I never thought I'd see again," Dante said. Vergil clasped his shoulder, the hard expression gone from his face. If Evangeline had to place the expression, she'd say they both looked close to tears.

"Vergil, I think I need help," Evangeline said when she realized the edges of her vision were becoming fuzzy. Vergil blinked and looked down at her as if surprised she was there. He knelt down and gently lifted her into the air. As he did so, a jolt of pain went through her jostled arm.

She spared a glance at Dante. His moment elation had disappeared and he glared daggers at her, the corner of his mouth turned up in a sneer. She wrapped her good arm around Vergil for protection.

"Why are you with her?" he asked.

"And why aren't you dead?" Trish called from behind Dante.

"After I make sure she doesn't die, I'll tell you everything."

He turned and walked away. Suddenly there was a hand on his shoulder and Vergil was spun around.

"You came back from the dead and all I get is a, 'I'll tell you later'. That's bullshit Vergil."

"Dante, stop being a child. If you weren't so overemotional she wouldn't be bleeding out."

Dante didn't remove his hand from Vergil's shoulder. Vergil's eyes narrowed.

"Let me go."

He let go with a slight shove for good measure.

"Whatever."

Vergil turned and walked away; the others trailing behind him, Lady and Trish murmuring softly.

Evangeline lowered her voice. "What's going to happen?"

Vergil was silent. Despite his silence, she saw that his eyes were shining with joy; however, a frown had fallen upon his lips in contradiction making his expression unreadable.

#####

There was blood on counter, blood in the sink, blood on his hands, and blood on her shirt which was then on the floor. Vergil carefully stitched the three inch wound on Evangeline's shoulder, making sure it lay nearly flat with tiny stitches. Every time he pulled she winced, but his mind was preoccupied with the thought of his brother standing down the hall in the living room.

"So what are we going to do?" Evangeline asked.

"What do you mean 'what are we going to do'? We're going to tell them what happened."

"No, that's not going to happen. You spent all that time keeping it from your brother which, may I add, is the reason I am now bleeding to death."

"You're not bleeding to death it just nicked a vein. It's already healing. I don't think I need to mention that you have had worse." He grabbed her face and looked into her eyes, staring at the pupil. The brown seemed to have darkened and turned red, thrashing violently throughout her eyes. "No concussion. Just another scar."

"Exactly what I need."

"I like them," he said, running the water over his hands.

"You're brother is a vicious psychopath. Completely without feeling," she said, gingerly touching the stitched wound.

"That's usually what they say about me."

"They want to kill me," she said and turned off the water.

Vergil turned it back on. "I need to do this."

He looked at her face contorted in frustration and fear. Her entire body was tense and she sat at the edge of the counter as if getting ready to run out the door.

"I'm not going to listen to what you have to say about this. Though if I cared more and wanted to argue, I would say that you should be the one person who understands."

She stuck out a leg to stop him from leaving.

"I don't want to die, Vergil. I don't want to go back to hell and now there is a room full of people who really hate me and wouldn't mind seeing me suffer," she said quietly.

"Don't be a pest. No one is going to hurt you while I am around," he said. He lifted her off the counter and plopped her firmly on the ground. Vergil had the feeling he was scolding a tempestuous child.

"You'll protect me this time because you were late the last time," she said. He grabbed a robe off a nearby hook and handed it to her but said nothing. She followed him out the door and into the living room.

Dante paced around the front door as if he were planning on bolting. On the sofa, Lady and Trish sat side by side speaking quietly to one another and sparing glances in Dante's direction. Rummaging around the kitchen was Nero who immediately stopped as he saw the pair enter.

Vergil's eyes lowered at him in confusion. "Who's he? He looks like you."

"My name's Nero," he said, his eyes darting between each individual in the room.

"I stole the sword from him," Evangeline said. Vergil glared at Dante.

"Why did this child," he said, pointing at Nero. "Have my sword?"

"I'm not a child," Nero said.

"Kid, shut up," Dante snapped. "Your sword was in Fortuna and broken into two pieces. He managed to put it back together and I figured with the resemblance he must have been a descendant of Sparda or something."

Then Dante shook his head and raised his hands. "But the more important story is how you are still alive and why you are standing here."

"Are you still controlled by Mundus?" Trish asked quietly, her eyes narrowed. Evangeline took a seat farthest from the group by the entrance to the hallway.

"No, I'm not. After I was…defeated, Mundus decided to punish me. So I was tortured since that time."

"Why didn't you try to escape?"' Lady said suspiciously.

Vergil moved on. "Eventually, Evangeline was brought down to the prison to be made into a demon and I decided to save us but not before the demonic process had started." He walked over to Evangeline and gestured to her eyes. She shut them.

"Why would they want you?" Trish asked.

"Probably because she's an evil manipulative bitch," Lady sneered.

"I was a priestess and very devout. Apparently, they like torturing the faithful," she said with a glare towards Lady.

"We escaped, but I couldn't go through the portal so I sent Evangeline to get my sword and the amulet to summon me. Then we came here and I started my work as a mercenary again."

Dante had paced during the entire exchange when he suddenly stopped.

"I need to talk to you alone. Come outside with me," he said and walked out the door. Vergil followed slowly after and closed the door behind him.

Evangeline stared at the two glaring women. The air seemed to crackle in front of them. From behind the kitchen counter, Nero nervously glanced between Trish and Lady on the couch and Evangeline opposite them on the plush chair.

Evangeline smacked her lips and rubbed her hands together. "Sooo, how did you all meet?"

Silence.

"You're a demon aren't you?" she said to Trish. No reply.

"My father had those markings like the ones in your eyes. He was part demon too. He got it from killing my mother, who did you kill?"

Evangeline got up and walked over to the kitchen. She started looking for the pack of cigarettes she kept in there. Vergil had started hiding them in strange places. She found it in the pot filled with flour.

"I didn't kill anyone," she lied and lit a cigarette.

"What you did to Dante is unforgivable. I have never seen him like that," Lady said.

Evangeline blew out a smoke ring.

"I do what I have to."

#####

Silence filled the room again. Evangeline's heart pounded nervously.

Dante led Vergil to the narrow opening between his apartment building and the building next to it. Vergil wondered if his brother intended to attack him.

"Why didn't you come to me? Why did you not want my help?"

"I thought you would try to kill me."

Dante kicked the wall. "God, Vergil! Why are you always like this? Why would I try to kill you?"

"It wasn't difficult to assume," he said calmly. Dante stormed up to Vergil and put his face close. He grabbed Vergil's coat in a bunch with one hand. Vergil smacked it away.

"You always did evil things. But I never would kill you. Give you beating, yes. But killing…" he trailed off and threw his hands in the air.

"I let you kill me on Mallet," Vergil said.

"Why the hell would you do that?" he scoffed.

He was silent for a moment before speaking. "Because I needed to make amends for what I did to you and to mother."

Dante shook his head angrily. "You didn't do anything to mother, Verg. You were just a kid."

Vergil's felt his resolve slowly shatter. As the first crack appeared, he placed more and more weight on it until it fell into a million pieces. He wanted his brother, his family as small as it was. Being a twin meant never escaping the truth. You would always see yourself in another's reflection. A small part of you that would never truly be yours was held with them. When they were gone, it was lost forever. _I need that part back_, Vergil thought.

"I didn't want to burden you with me," Vergil said. Dante stopped out of shock and stared at his brother who seemed to fall apart before him. "I've put you through enough."

"I realized a few things. The first is that I no longer want to be alone. It made me weak because I had not control and could not stop pursuing power. Ironically, I did it because I thought that somehow it could bring my family back when it only cost me it. Now I want to make up for that mistake."

"Verg, you're freaking me out. I don't know if I can handle you this way," Dante said, his hands up like a barrier between him and his brother's emotions.

"I was tortured, Dante," Vergil said firmly. "In every possible way, I was tortured. I needed you but was too cowardly to say so."

"I missed you too," Dante said uncomfortably, finally lowering his hands. "But you really need to stop with the whole emotional thing. It's creepy."

"You are such a child," Vergil said. Dante walked over and slung an arm around his brother's shoulders.

"Promise me you will always be a cold bastard," he said. "What just happened here, we'll just keep it between us."

"Agreed," he said with a smile. In flash Yamato was out and Dante had leapt away. He pulled out force edge and pointed it towards his brother. Two blurs rushed towards each other and the clang of metal filled the alley. They crossed swords, their faces inches apart. Then they grinned at each other and dropped their swords.

"I'll always be the better swordsman. You will always be sloppy," Vergil said, sheathing Yamato in one fluid movement.

"Yeah, well I already defeated you so it no longer matters," he shrugged and paced the sword in the carrier on his back.

"So what about that girl?"

"Evangeline?"

"What are you two exactly? You're not…" he made a telling gesture with his hand.

"She's my minion," Vergil responded, unsure how to answer.

"Don't tell me you're in love with her. Number one, she's a liar. Number two, there are more attractive and taller women."

"I don't comment on your taste in women. As for lying, she doesn't to me. She's proven herself to be more than useful."

"I don't like her," Dante said.

"She's staying with me," Vergil said flatly.

Dante shook his head then looked around. "So what are you going to do now?"

"What I've always done."

"I could always use a partner. We would be unstoppable as a duo," Dante said smiling.

"You want me to go back with you?"

"You just got out of hell. The least you could do is hang out."

"I'm working alone," Vergil said.

"Deal. But I get the money."

"Never."

They walked back to the apartment. _It's like it never happened_, Vergil thought. As he walked next to his brother, he was surprised at how natural it felt. As if they were children again.

#####

"This is a bad idea. How do you know you can trust them?" Lady said from the seat next to Dante. Dante kept his eyes on the rode.

"He's my brother."

"Yeah, and he tried to destroy the world, twice. Not to mention what she did to you."

"I know. But you weren't there. As for Evangeline, as pissed off as I am she was just doing it for Vergil. Though I am never dating a woman again for a long time."

Lady frowned as he spoke. Trish sat up in the back seat where she had been leaning against the window sleeping.

"I think it is very noble of you Dante. But I hope that you are careful," she said. The cell phone in her pocket rang and she flipped it open.

"Do I get the sword back?" Nero asked over the sound of Trish talking.

"No, it's not yours," Dante said.

"Dante we need to get back. Morrison said some strange jobs came in."

#####

Evangeline sat in the passenger seat, her arms crossed across her chest and her head down. The sunglasses covered her eyes, but Vergil could tell she was sleeping. Her animosity towards leaving was clear as they packed and entered the car. She had protested loudly until he silenced her with a firm "stop complaining." Evangeline hadn't said a word since leaving Central City, but she managed to smoke half a pack of cigarettes within the first few hours. After she had fallen asleep he grabbed them from the cup holder and threw them out the window.

Vergil wondered what he was really trying to accomplish in following Dante to join him in hunting demons. It was as if nothing had passed between them, and an eerie feeling of normalcy came over him. He felt uncomfortable that his desire for his brother's companionship was exposed. Though he did not desire power as he had, he wondered if Dante realized that he had not changed entirely. He was as \ before, without regard for human life and cold to the world. _Except for one,_ he thought and glanced back at Evangeline.

He was amazed at her resolve. She did not ignore what had happened to her, but dealt with it. Not gracefully, but managed none the less. Every change, she adapted and met problems with resolve and a surprising amount of skill. An excellent liar in most cases. Sometimes he thought her time in hell had been a benefit to her as she seemed well suited for a life on the fringe of society.

#####

Evangeline sat up from her seat and removed her glasses. The car had stopped and was pulled over to the side of the rode next to woods that stretched the length of the highway. She looked at the empty driver's seat.

"Vergil?" she called. She glanced in the back seat then out the windows. She opened the door and climbed out from the car.

"Vergil? Where are you?"

The bushes next to her rustled. She held her breath and slowly eased herself back to the car. Further down the highway, figures emerged and made their way slowly towards the car, massive and deformed even with the distance.

Stumbling, she climbed back into the car and quietly shut the door, lowering herself into a crouching position on the floor. Just then a demon slammed against the window of the driver's side. It was covered in red and black sores. She scrambled into the backseat of the car and came nose to nose with a face covered in the sores, nearly unrecognizable.

"What do you want? Why do you keep coming?"

His mouth opened wide and he lunged towards his, body dissolving into a black substance.

She screamed and awoke, her hand slamming against the window. Vergil slammed on the breaks.

"What's wrong," he said and grabbed her arm.

Evangeline's head felt dizzy as the blood pounded through her body. She grabbed Vergil's arm, eyes wild.

"You said my eyes could do things with demons. I think something is happening, Vergil. My brother…"

"Your brother is dead."

"I keep seeing him. He's covered in sores," she motioned to her own body, hands shaking. "Then he disappears…."

"It was probably a nightmare," Vergil said.

She covered her face with her hand and sighed. "I don't know. Yeah, you're right. I'm just…I'm just shaken."

He reached for her hand.

"Nothing's happened. It was just a dream. You said it yourself; all those things were just stories."

She nodded.

Doubt gnawed at Vergil's stomach as he remembered the unknown encounter. But if anything were happening, he would sense it. He put the car into park and continued to hold her hand until she stopped shaking. Then he started the car and began driving again. She kept a firm grip on his hand.

"What happened to my cigarettes?"

_And the cloud that took the form (when the rest of heaven was blue) of a demon in my view._

_

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**Please review to let me know what you think, criticisms are welcome.**  
_


	10. Chapter 10

**_I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the stories, plots, character, locations, etc. thereof. _**

**_Another day, another chapter. Thank you to all who read and to all those who reviewed. Much obliged. I think I am figuring out the hits and visitors, so I know people are reading, so again thanks.  
_**

**_Please enjoy. RR. I like to read what you think and if there are any improvements to be made._**

**_Thanks, ya'll.  
_**

* * *

"Vergil, what are we doing here?" Evangeline asked as she threw the last of the clothes into the dresser. Vergil had found them an apartment to live in a few days after arriving in the city. They had spent their few homeless days camped out in the car or a dingy hotel. Evangeline had refused to stay with Dante.

"I'm going to hunt devils with my brother."

"What are you trying to find? Do you really think you can just act like nothing happened and be a happy family?" she asked, plopping herself on the bed.

He looked over his shoulder at her, adjusting Yamato's position on top of the dresser.

"I don't know," he said.

"It's not like its going to peaches and cream from now on. They will always remember," she said, a look of concern over her face.

His anger slowly started to grow as her questions tugged at his own uncertainties.

"What do want me to do? Should I just disappear and ignore my twin. I'm trying not to go back to the way I was because it led me straight to hell, literally."

He slammed the palms of his hands down on the dresser, leaning against them as he stared at himself in the mirror. It still struck him how much his face had changed. Even after going back to a normal weight it still looked thin.

"I get trying to change your life, I really do. It just seems strange, so I think something bad is going to happen."

"Did you have a dream about that too," he snapped. She glared at him from her place on the bed.

"I'm not the one being overemotional and irrational. Judging through my experiences with you, you're not very good at managing relationships."

"You're still around," he said. She crossed her arms; her green eyes seemed to be blazing in their sockets. A part of him enjoyed making her angry so he could see her eyes full of that intensity.

"Yeah, sometimes I wonder why. I don't even know what "we" are," she said, crossed her arms, and leaned back against the headboard.

"You are a former drug-addict, chain-smoker, with demon eyes and a bad attitude, and I am a half-demon, swordsman," he said. She gave him a withering look.

"Hmm, humor. I didn't think you had it in you."

He smirked.

"It doesn't matter what you call us. We are what we are," he replied.

"That's what most people who are afraid of commitment would say."

He walked into the adjoining bathroom a smile starting to form on his face from the banter. Vergil closed the door behind him, and switched the shower faucet on.

Evangeline sighed and sprawled herself across the bed. On the nightstand beside her was the book of spells Vergil had given to her. She grabbed it and began flipping through the pages until she came across a spell for locating people or things. On the page was a large circle filled with symbols she did not understand. The book gave instructions on clearing one's mind and seeing the world within your inner eye. _A bunch of bullshit_, she thought and slammed the book shut. She covered her face with her hands.

"What am I doing? I'm not some demon hunter. I can't even do a pushup," she mumbled.

The shower turned off and she could here Vergil shuffling in the bathroom. She smiled, realizing she was there for him. Vergil walked out of the shower wearing only a pair of thin pants. His hair was flat and stuck his head with water. She watched his well-formed muscles move under his skin as he searched for something in the drawers.

"You should walk around with your shirt off more often."

He only raised an eyebrow and walked over to the bed. Eying the book in front of her, he picked it up.

"Have you managed to learn anything yet?"

"Not a thing."

Frowning, he tossed the book back onto the nightstand. He climbed into the bed next to her.

"This is difficult for you," he said.

"I just don't know what I'm doing and I can't help you with anything"

He reached over and brushed a finger against the scars on her shoulder.

"You have your talents. You are…resilient and cunning."

She laughed. "Usually, you want compliments like sweet, kind, pretty, smart. Like Lady and Trish. I'm nothing like them."

"I think you are far stronger than they will ever be. You're certainly not sweet, but that's not a virtue. I enjoy your bluntness."

She snorted.

"And you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

Her green eyes flickered to his face; a mix of disbelief, mocking, and pleasure in her raised eyebrow.

"You've never said that before."

"I didn't think I had to."

He leaned in close and kissed her; his hand placed behind her head, pulling her closer.

"It's weird when you're affectionate."

He said nothing and kissed her again. His body felt relaxed as he lay next to her, breathing in the scent of her skin, shampoo, and cigarettes. They settled next to one another, and she leaned a head against his shoulder as his arm wrapped around her. He closed his eyes and smiled slightly, content with their comfortable silence.

"We're going over to Dante's tomorrow."

"Shit. Do we have to?"

######

"So tell me about this again," Dante said, chewing over a large bite of pizza.

"He said except for one of them that looked human, they all just disappeared into dust for no reason. They all seem to come from the same place but that place keeps changing. Usually, they just show up around other demons and attack them," Lady explained.

"And the problem is what, exactly?" Dante said and took another bite.

She narrowed her mismatched eyes at him. "Because they attack everything."

"Fine," Dante said. "I'll do whatever you say. I'm just going to wait for Verg."

Lady wrinkled her nose at this and sat on the desk. She couldn't escape the image of Vergil in temen-ni-gru trying to open the gate to hell. Or the image of him attacking her and Dante. Though she distrusted him, she couldn't deny Dante the opportunity to be with his brother that he so earnestly wanted. However, the thought of Evangeline made her want to wring the redhead's skinny neck.

As she was thinking this, the door to the shop opened and Virgil entered with Evangeline tucked away behind him. Lady watched, thinking that she stared out from behind her human shield like a coward. She was simply dressed in slightly baggy dark jeans, a green t-shirt with a jacket thrown over. Lady had to stop herself from criticizing her dress, realizing that it would just be pettiness.

Trish came out from the back when she heard the door open.

Dante uncrossed his legs from the desk and stood up. He grabbed force edge off the wall and swung it in mock fighting before placing it on his back.

"About time you got here. We've got some demons to kill."

"He said the last place he saw a large group of them was down by the docks. I think we should start there and see what we find," Trish said. She grabbed a gun hanging on the wall and holstered it on her hip.

Vergil crossed his arms and stared at the group as they discussed their plans.

"What are we supposed to do about her?" Trish suddenly asked. They all stared at Evangeline. Dante eyed her suspiciously. He noticed her fingers lightly brushing the edge of Vergil's coat as she leaned in close to him. A pang of envy went through his heart.

"Can you fight?" Trish asked.

Evangeline looked up, realizing she was the topic of conversation.

"No, actually. But I'm pretty good at hiding."

"She can stay here and watch the phone," Dante said. Lady whipped her head around.

"Are you kidding? You do remember what happened last time she was here."

"She's not going to," Dante said, lowering his gaze at Evangeline.

"I'll just stay here and learn how to be useful," she said, raising the book of spells.

The three glanced at each other then began walking towards the door. Vergil uncrossed his arms and turned to her.

"Be careful. If someone comes to the door, don't do anything. Run if you see anything that might be dangerous."

"Then I would be running from you constantly," she said with a grin. He smiled and followed the others out the door. Evangeline heaved a sigh and looked around the large, empty room. She clucked her tongue and walked over to the couch. Plopping herself down she opened the book and flipped back to the page describing locating people and items. _Concentrate. It is necessary to become one with your surrounding and the universe_. She sighed and placed the open book over her face.

######

Vergil disappeared into the darkness and separated himself from Dante, Trish, and Lady. Large metal boxes ten feet high full of goods ready for shipping were stacked five high in the boat yard. Large buildings were left dark and abandoned by the employees heading home for the night. Different types of mechanical equipment lay scattered throughout the maze of buildings and storage containers while boats attached to the dock silently stood guard. The water lapped against the dock, filling the background with soft noise.

It seemed to him like a stereotypical place for demons to hide. He kept his hand on Yamato's hilt and crept along the edges of the storage containers, listening to any noise. As he came to a clearing in the forest of containers, he heard a grunt. His body began to tingle with anticipation as he felt their presence. A surge of power went through him as he envisioned the upcoming battle. At those times, he let his demonic impulses take over as he slipped silently into the passenger seat of his own body.

He stepped out from behind a container.

A group six of demons stood huddled together. They were not much taller than Vergil, but with broad shoulders ending in clawed hands and large mouths filled with teeth. In the middle stood a smaller one, more human in his shape with large protruding spikes from his head. He was the one that spotted Vergil and he drew his sword from his sheath.

"Die," Vergil said, swinging Yamato from its place. Two of the larger demons went down, split in half before they could even move. In a flash, he was on top of another as two went rushing for him. He stabbed straight down, the blood gushing from the top of the demon's head like a fountain. Vergil leapt down from the dying demon, and rushed at the remaining two, bringing his sword up as he passed them.

As they bled out from their wounds, he dodged to the left to avoid the sword of the humanoid demon. He brought Yamato up then down, removing the arm of the sword-bearing demon. He screamed and crumpled to the ground. Vergil brought the tip of Yamato even with his face.

"I need information," he said. The demon looked around at his slaughtered companions, black eyes wide with fear.

"About what?"

"What are you doing here?"

The demon said nothing. Vergil lifted his chin with the point of his sword.

"I will kill you, and I will make it painful."

"We were hiding and waiting for more of my master's demons to come."

"Are you planning a take over?"

"No, we're being attacked. My master isn't strong enough to take over the human realm, so we just work with criminals. But there are things after us. I was sent to destroy them."

"What are they?"

"I don't know. They're demons, but different. We don't know where they're coming from or what they're doing. We were just told not to let them grab you."

"Why?"

"You get infected," he said.

There was a shuffle in the shadow of a metal container. Vergil looked in the direction out of the corner of his eye.

"Dante, I have a hostage," he said. They moved from the shadow; a giant mass of a demon covered in red and black sores.

The demon at Yamato's point hissed and Vergil swung Yamato to his side. The demon rushed to his feet as fast as he could with one arm and ran off into the maze of the dock. Vergil heard a scream.

"Hey, Verg. You let one go…holy shit," Dante said from behind him.

Vergil felt his devil form take over and from the distance, he slashed forward with Yamato, sending out a blade of energy that cut through the demon. It fell into a fine black dust. He thought back to the demon in hell he had seen overtaken by an infected companion. Vergil stepped back from the dust that was drifting his way.

"Don't let them touch you," he said to Dante. Trish and Lady entered the clearing, their eyes wandering to the drifting pile.

#######

Evangeline stared a small mirror in her hand, gazing at her demonic eyes. The brown essence shifted, growing darker and lighter as she stared. She was splayed out on her back on the floor of the shop, trying to clear her mind.

"I am one with the universe," she said. "I am one with the universe."

Nothing happened. She let her hand holding the mirror drop to the floor.

"I am one with boredom."

She closed her eyes and watched the tiny red dots float around behind her eyelids. They would appear then disappear, forming shapes that never lasted. Her mind wandered to Vergil and she could see him peering out of the dark of his cell, body covered in wounds. She felt herself shudder as she remembered the feel of the whip on her back. He fought for her, killing the demon in his darkened cell on impulse. _He's probably killing demons now_, she thought. His sword flying in the night, cutting down all in his path. Then she thought of her brother. She could hardly remember what he looked like without the sores covering his body. Not even the color of his eyes or hair.

Her eyes began to burn.

She was standing amongst metal containers. Vergil stood with his sword pointed at a demon crumpled on the ground. Another stumbled out, covered in red and black sores. As the infected demon moved, she saw a young man standing behind it, covered in the same affliction.

Evangeline opened her eyes and rubbed them. She heard the door open and shut. Through tears she looked up, seeing nothing.

"Hello?"

She sat up and glanced around the room. From behind her, the drum's cymbals let out a soft ting, as if someone had brushed against them. Panicked, she looked desperately around for the source. She leapt to her feet and ran to the nearest sharp object, a thin knife hanging on the wall. Her knuckles began to hurt with how tightly she gripped it.

Footsteps quickly ran up the stairs and the door opened and slammed shut. Her eyes widened at what she didn't see, but heard. She backed up until her back was against the wall, waiting for something to attack. Her blood pounded in her ears and her eyes burned to the point she wanted to scratch them out.

Outside the window of the front door, she saw a shadow move. Slowly, she edged her way over to the small space created by the couch and jukebox under the stairs. She lowered herself into the small hiding space, the knife held out in front of her with both hands.

Next to the door, the outline of a shadow appeared. She pressed herself further into the corner, and prayed that it hadn't seen her. She opened her eyes again, and felt as if she would vomit.

Her brother knelt in front of her, silent. The sores nearly covered all of his body to the point he no longer seemed human. He did not move, but just stared with unblinking eyes. Her whole body began to tremble out of fear and anger.

"Go away," she ordered through gritted teeth. He just pointed to the door. She wrapped her arms around her knees and stared back.

#######

"I have never seen or heard of anything like that," Trish said.

"Are they sick?" Lady asked, kicking a stone that was in her path.

"More like zombified," Dante said.

"I've seen it before," Vergil said from behind them. They stopped, only a few feet from the shop.

"When I was in hell, I saw one attack another demon. I don't know where they came from," he said. Anger at the unknown foe passed through him.

Trish looked at Vergil. "We need to find someone who knows something. I'll start investigating."

"I'll help," Vergil said.

"I'll let you two brainiacs figure it out," Dante said, stretching.

They entered the shop to find it empty.

"Evangeline," Vergil called.

"Dammit, she stole something and ran off again," Lady said. Dante started looking around. Vergil heard a staggered breath and rushed over to the couch. Evangeline was curled up in the corner trembling, her eyes closed tightly.

"Evangeline," he whispered. She opened her eyes; the demonic essence seemed to have grown and made them appear black for a moment. "What happened?"

She looked around.

"He was here. I saw him," she whispered. Vergil grabbed her arm to pull her from the corner and she grabbed him around the neck and didn't let go. He led her out of her hiding space and gently, but firmly, pulled her arms away from him. Vergil looked into her eyes; the demonic essence had receded until it was only a murky brown in the whites of her eyes.

"He's wasn't there. He's dead."

"Don't treat me like I'm crazy. I know I saw him. He was covered in sores and staring at me," she said.

"Saw who?" Dante said. He looked around the room for anyone who might be hiding. Lady went up stairs with her gun drawn.

"My brother," she said.

"He's dead. She's just seeing things."

Evangeline glared daggers at him.

"She said that she saw him covered in sores. Like that one thing we saw today," Dante said, approaching them.

"You saw something?" Evangeline asked. Vergil nodded. "So I was right. There's something happening."

"Yes, it seems like you are seeing something," he said reluctantly. "But it has nothing to do with your brother."

"Why do you keep telling me that?" she snapped.

"Because I don't need you to become an emotional wreck by thinking he is somehow a part of all this," he said, grabbing her shoulders. She blinked, unsure how to interpret his comment.

"I don't think he is a part of any of this," Trish said quietly, picking up the book from the floor. "Your eyes are purely demonic, so you can see things. Like how you knew I was a demon."

"Vergil and Dante are demons. They don't see anything," Evangeline replied.

"True, but they are half-demons completely. There isn't a part of them that is more demonic than another. You on the other hand, have a demon's eyes like they were implanted. However, you don't have the mind of a demon. I think your eyes are seeing something and your brain is trying to process it. In your case, it goes through the form of something familiar so it sees your brother covered in sores instead of what ever…force it is."

There was a pause.

"That's just stupid," Evangeline said.

"Stop being a pest. Do you have a better explanation?" Vergil asked.

"I'm seeing a ghost."

Trish shrugged. "When she understands more about what she is seeing the hallucinations ought to stop."

"How do you know all this? Is there some sort of manual to the demon world and if so, can I get a copy?" Evangeline said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Calm down," Vergil said.

Evangeline looked a Vergil's face. Signs of frustration were penetrating his usually stony demeanor.

"This life…I need a moment," she said and stormed out of the building, slamming the door behind her. As she hurried down the street she pulled out her cigarettes from her pocket and lit it. Glancing behind her, she saw nothing but an empty street.

A half an hour passed before she looked up and realized she didn't know were she was.

"Well that's just fucking great," she said and lit another cigarette. Holding it between two fingers, she tapped the ash off and looked around her. It was a dingy section of town filled with trash a clutter; something she was getting used to seeing and it bothered her. Her body filled with the sudden craving to let go, and she began searching for someone who had the cure.

She walked down the street and made a few turns before coming to an entrance crowded with people. They were dressed mainly in leather with silver jewelry glinting in the light above the door. As she walked by, they threw glares her way. Glancing quickly, she had decided to pass when she spotted a man standing about fifteen feet from the entrance who furtively handed out small packages to passing hands. Glancing over her shoulder, she made her way over to the man. Reaching into her pocket, she flashed a wad of cash at him. He nodded and they reached out to shake hands.

As the small packet pressed into her palm, her eyes began to burn she looked up at the door where everyone mingled and through the crowd she saw the mangled form of her brother standing next to the door. He smiled and walked in, seemingly unnoticed by the people around him.

Just then a hand ripped away the package from her fingers. Evangeline glared at the culprit, finding blue eyes staring down. Vergil tore the package open and scattered the contents into the dirt. The dealer shouted.

"What the hell, Vergil!" she exclaimed. He grabbed her arm, but she pulled her arm from his grip and walked quickly away.

"Have you been doing drugs?"

"No, thanks to you," she mumbled past the cigarette she was lighting in her mouth. "And what do you care? Are you stalking me now?"

"I was making sure you didn't get yourself into trouble," he said. In a blur of blue he was in front of her. She stopped.

"I'm stressed."

"I didn't save you so you could throw your life away," he said, monotone.

She let out a sharp laugh. "You saved me for yourself. I'm just a minion."

"Do you want to go back to what you were? Die young?" he said, grabbing her elbow as she tried to leave.

"At least I decided what was happening in my life," she shouted. "I might have been a drug addict, but I was deciding how I was going to die. My choice. Now, nothing is mine. I have no control over what is happening. I don't even know what is happening to my own body. But everyone else knows."

He snatched the cigarette from her lips and threw it to the ground.

"I don't care if you feel like you don't have control. I am going to keep you around because I have a long life to live, and you are going to be in it."

Vergil grabbed Evangeline's face between his hands. She took a deep breath.

"I'm overreacting," she said.

"Yes you are."

She grabbed his hand; it seemed so much larger than her own.

"All of this is completely insane," she laughed.

He pulled her close, resting her head against his chest. She buried her face, realizing how steady he seemed and smelling the sweet scent of his skin.

"You can do whatever you want, except killing yourself. To truthful, I don't know what I would without you. I've gotten used to you being around."

"I never knew you cared." She sniffled. "I wouldn't leave you. Even if you killed every human. It doesn't matter to me."

Her response genuinely caught him off guard and he was unable to speak though the answer pleased him. He kissed the top of her head and they pulled apart. "You need to tell us everything you know about what is infecting the demons."

"All I know are stories," she said. She looked back in the direction of the crowded entrance. A dark figure stood next to it, staring.

"Something wrong?" Vergil asked.

"No, nothing," she lied. Vergil's heart suddenly felt calmer; it made it uncomfortable when she was upset, partially because he was ignorant as to how to stop her.

"So you don't think I'm seeing my brother?" she asked, looking to him.

"You're seeing things," he said, and walked in the opposite direction of the crowd of people, heading back to the shop. Unbeknownst to him, she had made a silent promise to return. In his ignorance, he felt content as she fell into step behind him.

#########

Lady, Trish, Dante, and Vergil were gathered around her on the couch. Evangeline stared up at them. Vergil thought she looked pitifully small amongst them.

"That's all you know," Dante said.

"Yes. It's just a place of pure suffering and pain. It just exists and like all suffering, spreads like an infection. Mostly, it was just a metaphor and a story my mother mentioned once so that we wouldn't try to do bad things to people. It's not like she wanted to induce nightmares."

"Well it's not useful," he replied.

"If you want more info then you need to go to them, but I can't go with you."

"Where are they?" Trish asked.

"We don't even know if that is what it is. It could be something completely different," Lady said.

Dante shrugged. "It's the only lead we have."

"They're in Willowland City. About a day's drive. It's called the Blood Temple. Don't let the name scare you, they're harmless."

Lady looked at Dante. "We should go find out what they know. Maybe they even know about what's happening now."

"Well, looks like Vergil's going to meet your parents. I hope they like him," Dante said and placed his hands behind his head. Vergil looked at his brother out of the corner of his eye.

"It would be suspicious for all four of us to walk into the temple," he said, changing the subject. "Lady and Trish would probably draw less attention."

"You two should dress more modestly and maybe cover your hair. Sins are forgiven, but not if they're intentional," Evangeline said to Lady and Trish. Lady glared at Evangeline.

"What sin are we committing?" Lady snapped.

Evangeline raised her hands. "Look, I'm just telling you what they told me."

Trish looked at each individually. "We should leave in the afternoon after getting sleep."

Vergil held out his hand for Evangeline who took it and stood up from the couch. They began walking towards the door, and Lady and Dante started up the stairs.

Outside, Vergil grabbed her hand and held it as they walked.

"Stay in the apartment," he said. "Don't get into trouble."

Evangeline tried to see his face in the lamplight. He turned his head slightly so she could not see that worry was taking root.

"I'll be careful."

"I love you," he said, still looking away from her.

She smiled, but said nothing. The half-moon shined brightly down, creating shadows along their path as they walked silently home. The tension of their impending separation hung in the air like thick fog that would dissipate in the morning light and Vergil would be gone.

* * *

**_Please review. Criticism are welcome. _**


	11. Chapter 11

_**I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the stories, characters, locations, plots, etc. thereof. **_

_**Thank you to ita-chan and tora-katana. It's always nice to hear from you. Also, thank you to those who read. **_

_**I hope you enjoy this chapter. RR  
**_

* * *

Vergil ran his hand down Evangeline's naked back, feeling the smooth texture of her scars. She lie face down on the bed, breathing lightly in her sleep. Memories of the night before kept him from leaving as he recalled their bodies pressed together in the darkness. He leaned down and lightly kissed from her earlobe and down her neck. She squirmed and opened her eyes.

"Good morning," she said, reaching her arms out in a stretch. "I thought you would be gone."

"I was just leaving," he said. She rolled over and grabbed him around the neck, kissing him deeply. His body began to tingle as she pressed herself closer. He pressed himself against her, laying them across the bed.

"I need to go," he said between her invading kisses and removed her arms.

"Fine," she sighed and placed her arms behind her head. "Suit yourself."

He fought the urge to repeat their lovemaking, giving her one last smile before leaving.

Evangeline watched his back as he left the room, and closed her eyes after hearing the door shut. In an instant she was asleep.

######

It was darkness; a black that stretched forever as if he were at the bottom of a sea of ink. Vergil stepped forward and saw a figure hunched over, it lifted its head and he saw the face of his mother, blood gushing from her eyes as tears. Chains wrapped themselves around him, and he was drug towards an unknown abyss, claws and blades slicing at his exposed skin. A gaping red hole appeared, heat waves rising from it…

A car's horn sliced through the air and Vergil awoke with a start.

"Geez, man. You okay?" Dante said, driving with one hand while the other dangled lazily out the window. "Nightmare?"

Vergil said nothing, unsure about how to tell his brother of his experiences. They hadn't spoken a word of it since they reunited. In truth, he found it hard to articulate the tortures of hell; how to tell his brother of every guilt they forced him to relive over and over again. More than that, it made him feel weak to admit that he still had nightmares.

"How far are we?" Vergil asked, bringing his feet down from the dashboard. Dante glanced at him, his silver hair lightly tussled in the breeze from the open car window.

"About an hour. I think Lady and Trish passed us along the way."

Silence fell between them as Vergil listened to the sound of rushing cars and watched the trees blur into a green mass. Dante clicked his tongue.

"So we haven't really talked much."

"We don't talk. You have the intelligence of a ten year-old," Vergil said.

"Whatever. Don't say anything; we can just ignore each other."

Silence again. Dante's eyes darted back over to his brother who sat stoned faced with his eyes closed and arms crossed.

"So, tell me about Evangeline," Dante finally said when the silence reached its peak of discomfort.

Vergil opened his eyes, narrowing them at his brother. "What about Evangeline?"

"I don't know. I guess, what is your relationship like, maybe?"

Dante stared at the road ahead, refusing to meet his brother's gaze after he had asked the question that had been burning in his head since he first saw them together.

"You know, do you have sex with her? Is she your girlfriend?"

"Does it matter?"

"I'm your brother. Aren't I supposed to worry about what women are in your life?"

"I don't worry about the women in yours. But to answer your question, yes I am sleeping with her," Vergil said with annoyance written across his crinkled brow.

"So…she's your girlfriend," Dante said carefully.

"Yes, I suppose that would be what you would call it. Why do you care?"

"I'm just wondering. I mean, she's done stuff. You know that we slept together, right?"

"Yes, she told me.

"It doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it. She's loyal to me and used you for my benefit."

"You know we got along very well," Dante said.

"Yes."

"You're not jealous?"

"I'm not worried about her having feelings for you, no," Vergil snapped, quickly losing his patience with the conversation. Then it dawned on him.

"You're jealous that Evangeline is with me," he said to Dante.

"No I'm not."

"You still care about her."

Dante lifted his hands in a helpless gesture for a moment then returned them to the steering wheel.

"Yeah, she seemed like a cool chick when she was pretending to be into me and everything. It didn't seem like she was faking it."

Vergil grabbed the steering wheel and turned it sharply to the right, sending the car onto the shoulder of the road. Dante quickly slammed on the breaks to avoid careening down a hill.

"Damn, Vergil!"

Vergil pointed a finger in his face and stared down at his brother; the anger seething off of his skin. His blue devil form flickered for a moment. Dante met his gaze with an equal amount of anger.

"She is mine. There is nothing between you two. I did not go through hell to save her to watch her leave with you."

"Can you blame me? I thought it was real. She was like no one I had met before. Everything was just accepted and she hardly batted an eye when we were attacked. It's not wrong to want someone who gets me. She understood me, and what happened with you. I guess that's what you like about her too," Dante said slowly.

Vergil leaned back in his seat, feeling as if he were watching a mirror of himself. Slowly, his temper began to cool.

"She does understand me and knows everything I've done, but doesn't care. We're moral equals and somewhat terrible people," Vergil said.

"You got that right."

"Don't push it, Dante."

Dante smiled and pulled back onto the road. His waves of jealously could not overcome his desire to retain his brother. A part of him doubted he could ever truly betray Vergil despite everything he had done.

_Like hell you can have her_, Vergil thought.

#######

Evangeline sat up and clutched her stomach overwhelmed by nausea. It had struck her a few hours after Vergil had left then had disappeared before reappearing the next day in the afternoon.

"I need to eat some real food not instant noodles," she said into the couch cushion.

She hadn't left the living room for most of day, but stared at the door working up the courage to leave. The thought strange entrance surrounded by people bothered her as much as her stomach did. She had seen her brother there and knew in her gut it meant something even if he were just a figment of her imagination. Vergil and Dante must have reached Willowland City by that point, and she weighed the possibility of them being able to save her should she run into trouble. She also wondered if she could move that far without vomiting.

The sickness in her stomach eased, so she rolled over onto her back and pulled out a cigarette. Looking at the door, she reached deep for courage that wasn't there.

#######

Dante pulled the car slowly pass the building called The Blood Temple. It was small and unassuming, rising two stories high with two tall square windows that were blocked by white curtains and a large door made of light wood. The building itself was concrete painted white with a large banner above with the phrase "God Forgives." Attached to the white structure on the right was a blue house built in the Victorian style.

"Is that it?" Dante said.

"I think so," replied Vergil, and Dante passed it, parking further down the street where Trish and Lady were already waiting.

For a moment, Dante did not recognize them in normal clothing. Trish had put on a demure black dress and tied her hair back in a ponytail. Lady wore brown slacks with a button down white shirt.

"Nice duds," Dante said as he stepped out of the car.

Lady frowned. "According to the sign there are open temple hours. Trish circled around back and saw that the building behind it was attached but had no windows so you might check it out while we go inside and try to find her mother. You two look…odd so stay out of sight."

Dante and Vergil exchanged glances.

"I think it's you," Dante said to his brother. Vergil scoffed and walked away, heading towards the back of the building. Dante followed.

"Shall we go then," Trish said to Lady and they began walking the block back to the temple. When they reached the door they hesitated then opened the doors slowly and stepped inside.

The white blinds on the windows allowed in a murky sunlight that only illuminated the room dimly. The inside was lined with two columns of pews made of a dark oak that clashed with the white walls. At the end of each pew was a single stand with a single lit candle. Following down the middle aisle, it stopped at the altar that was a simple table with a plain blue cloth stretched over it; a book on top. But behind the table rose a massive statue of black stone in the shape of a man, his arms outstretched over the altar. The statue's hair had been painted red, the robes of the statue blue, and the red paint had been placed under the eyes as if it were crying blood.

Lady shifted uncomfortably seeing it, but said nothing as a few men and women knelt in various places in the pews, their heads covered with black cloth. A gentle murmuring rose from them. Trish and Lady began walking down the aisle, looking for anything suspicious. From a slightly hidden door to the right of the statue, a man emerged in a dark suit. He spotted them and smiled.

"Welcome! You are obviously new here," he said and motioned for them to come forward. They walked to him, keeping their eyes on the statue.

"Don't be frightened of him, he is Maru. He cries blood because it unifies us all. It is a combination of the corrupt and the pure. What can I help you two with?"

"We were hoping to learn more about this faith. We had heard people talking about it so we wanted to meet the head of the temple?" Trish asked, making her eyes wide and soft with curiosity.

"Of course you can. If you follow me, I'll see if she's busy."

They followed him into the door and he closed it behind them. He led them down a short hallway lined with doors. A peak inside of one revealed a room filled with boxes. At the end of the hallway was a door painted blue, he opened it and led them inside. They emerged in a parlor containing a fireplace. It was richly decorated with elegant furniture, various lace covering and knickknacks, and portraits on the wall.

"This is the receiving room. Why don't you have a seat," he said and disappeared behind a set of sliding doors.

Trish wondered the room examining the various paintings while Lady took a seat. Lady looked around, feeling as if the room was far too normal for the statue only a hallway away.

#####

Evangeline dressed herself in the most dangerous clothing she could conjure from her closet. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she realized it didn't do a bit of good in hardening her appearance. She had put on tight black pants, a black tank top, black boots better used for hiking, and a leather jacket. What it resulted in was a stick figure trying to look hardcore, or a child playing dress up in a biker's closet. Sighing, she placed her sunglasses on and glared at her reflection in the mirror. Still not threatening.

She sat down on the bed, her eyes wondering to the open door leading to the living room and then to the outside. Her stomach tightened as she again contemplated leaving and hunting down the figure of her brother.

#######

Vergil slunk around the corner, coming to the windowless concrete building behind the temple. Behind him, he heard Dante curse as he collided with a trashcan. He whipped his head towards his brother and gave him a stony glare. Dante shrugged his shoulders in response. He reached the door leading into the structure and wiggled the doorknob; it was locked. Vergil pulled out Yamato and gently slid the blade between the door and the frame, slicing downward, causing the lock jam to split.

He slowly opened the door and stepped inside, followed by Dante. Dante flicked on the lights as he came through. The fluorescents illuminated a large room filled with shelves and boxes.

"You take left, I take right?" Dante said.

Vergil approached the nearest shelf, unsure of what he was looking for. He opened one dusty box and peered in, finding only candles. The rest of the boxes on that shelf were also filled with candles. As he searched he found black cloth, more candles, wood polish, pamphlets, and miniature figures of a man with red hair. He thought of Evangeline when he saw the statues, wondering what she was doing and wishing for a moment that she had come along.

Dante kicked a box. "I don't think there is anything in here."

"We should leave before anyone decides enter. It would unfortunate to have to kill a member of the congregation," Vergil said.

"You're kidding, right?" Dante asked, following his brother out the door and turning off the light.

Vergil snorted, clearing the dust out of his nose as he stepped into the alley behind the building. It was narrow and obviously used only for the bringing of supplies. They began walking back towards the street when a man appeared around the corner, heading towards them in the direction of the store room. He wore a suit and a brimmed hat over his face.

He glanced at the two brothers, and Vergil could make out the outline of his mouth falling open. The stranger's hands were blotted red and black and Vergil's hair on the back of his neck stood up as he sensed the demonic presence. The demon turned to run, but Dante was upon him in a flash of red, sword already drawn. He held him at a sword's length away, keeping the point firmly planted on his chest.

"You're going to answer a few questions."

######

Trish stared at the older woman who led them from the parlor into what she assumed was the living room. Several miniature images of the statue were along the mantle as well as several pictures. The woman had deep red hair that had faded with age and was now marked with long streaks of gray. Her brown eyes were watery, and she moved very slowly as if with a heavy burden. Trish assumed she was Evangeline's mother. She said her name was Isabelle Markus.

The woman gestured for them to sit. Lady sat down on a plush chair, but Trish stayed standing, examining the photographs. One was of Evangeline, younger and smiling widely next a young man who had one arm draped over her shoulder. They looked nearly identical in the face except for the gender difference; their smiles exactly the same. She seemed so much happier and brighter; a stark contrast to the somewhat morose and ambivalent attitude of the adult. There were more pictures of the two of them, some together, some apart.

"Those are my children," the woman said. "Twins. Not identical of course, but they were so close that they might as well have been. Everyone said when they were born that they were such a blessing."

"Are they still in the temple?" Trish asked.

Lady glared at her, not wanting to linger longer than necessary by asking unneeded questions.

"No, they are no longer with us."

Trish turned to face the old woman. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"My son was killed when he was sixteen by someone we haven't found. My daughter afterwards was so depressed. She got into things that she shouldn't have, and I did not stop her even though I feel I should have. One of the tenants of our faith is that god forgives all things; he understands that we sin. She was a good girl and always called home despite it all. About a year ago she stopped calling and disappeared, so I assumed she had died," the old woman's face twisted, her eyes beginning to brim with tears. "They were my world. My blessing."

She paused for a moment and closed her eyes. Grief poured from the woman and Trish felt the sharp stab of sympathy. Isabelle looked up at Trish.

"So what brings you here?"

"We wanted to learn more. You see, we're wanting to find a faith more suited to us and we heard many things about the temple," Lady said quickly.

"What else would you like to know?"

"Is there a hell in your religion? We heard something about a place of suffering," Lady said.

"Well, there is, but it's not hell, not for punishment. It exists because suffering exists, just like there is a place of bliss. However, it's a story, no soul actually ends up there because its not an actually place. Just an idea," Isabelle said smiling.

"It doesn't ever cross over?"

Isabelle lowered her eyes. Just then the door to the living room was kicked in with a loud bang.

#######

Evangeline stood in front of Devil May Cry. It was dark and only the red lights from the shop's sign illuminated the space around her. She was nervous, but the blade Vergil had given her comforted her slightly as she felt the hilt on her lower back where it was tucked into her pants.

"Alright. You are a figment of my imagination showing me things. I want to go back to that entrance," she closed her eyes and imagined it. The people milling in front, the drug dealer close by. Her eyes began to burn. Opening her them, she saw the deformed figure of her brother. He pointed down the street.

"You're just my brain processing information…I think." The figure nodded in agreement. "I want to find that entrance." She kept envisioning the entrance, and in her mind's eye she could see herself walking towards it, following the correct path as if in another's body. However, she could also see the physical road ahead of her and that she was not moving.

Evangeline took a step forward, feeling dizzy with the double vision. She stepped slowly, following the figure of her brother, but also seeing what the figure saw as it moved. Eventually, she stumbled into the wall, unable to figure out what to focus on; her physical eyes or her vision. She closed her eyes again.

"I just want something to guide me."

The vision of her brother was gone and she could see a sickly brown light a little closer in the distance. It illuminated an alleyway. She began walking, following it. Every time she came close to reaching it, the light would disappear and she would see it further down, leading to another road or turn. A smug feeling came over her as she walked the twisted alleys and roads.

A half hour later, the light disappeared completely. She walked forward to where she last saw it and a group of people appeared, standing in front of an entrance with no sign. They looked exactly the same as before, but as they moved, spots of black and red would appear and disappear. It never remained but seemed to be touching them only in passing. She felt her skin crawl at the sight of it.

She straightened her back and strode forward carefully avoiding touching them. They examined her as she passed, a few of them actually laughing out loud. Not wanting to lose her nerve, she ignored them and burst through the door, nearly toppling down the stairs on the other side. After regaining her balance, Evangeline started down the stairs and began to regret her decision. More than anything, she wanted to be a coward and run into Vergil's arms.

The stairs were dark and she hardly realized when she had reached the end because the room in front of her was so dark. People mingled close together, murmuring softly and taking drinks. There was a bar to the left of her and a scattering of tables. Everything was shifting slightly; she pressed her face closer to the wall and realized she was staring at the red and black infection. She backed away, her blood beginning to pound.

With a deep breath she moved deeper into the room, trying to listen to the conversations. Further back in the room was a door leading deeper. Standing next to it was a figure illuminated slightly red. Evangeline quickly darted to the side to avoid the demon seeing her. Her heart was pounding as sweat began to trickle down her brow.

_Good god what am I doing!_ She wanted to kick herself for her foolishness and disappear in a puff of smoke from that place. It was time to leave and stop being a hero. She was a coward and needed to embrace it.

The door to the back opened and out stepped a woman in leather. He exposed skin had patches of black and red, including a large swath of it across her face. Her entire body pulsed with red light. Evangeline's eyes widened as she recognized the demoness. She could almost feel the whip on her back and suddenly she was in her cell again, watching the demon descend upon her.

Her heart seemed to stop as she turned her back and began to walk away, deliberately trying not to draw attention by bolting away. She felt a weight on her shoulder. When she turned her head, she saw a gloved hand and a face twisted with both infection and a malicious joy.

"You have no idea how much I wanted to see you again," the demoness whispered.

#######

"Dante!" Lady shouted.

Vergil was on top of Isabelle, the edge of his sword against her throat. She trembled and sunk to her knees.

"We found the demon. He was bringing a message," Vergil said coldly. The blue of his eyes seemed like ice and their murderous intent was clear.

"You showed them how to bring that thing here," Dante said to Evangeline's mother from behind his brother.

"They came to me wanting to know how to summon it. I told them everything I knew and where to find the spells."

"Why?" Trish asked.

"I have suffered!" she shouted. "The world took my family from me. The murderers, the drug dealers, I cannot forgive any more," she said angrily, tears streaming down her face. "The world deserves to suffer."

"What is it?" Vergil asked. Yamato drew a thin line of blood as he twitched a finger.

"It is pain, it is suffering and misery and torture and everything residing in the darkest places. Whoever controls it can inflict it on the world," she said. Her lip curled.

"The infection?"

"A sign of its presence. Eventually those inflicted will die as their bodies are ripped apart with misery. It spreads like an infection, just a suffering does."

"Who's doing it?" Dante demanded, pulling out a pistol. Isabelle didn't even flinch at the sight of the gun.

"Some man. He said he had the power and that he knew a place where the wall between the earth and the spirit realm was weak enough he could access it."

Vergil's eyes lowered in suspicion. "Why are you so free with the information?"

She smiled. "Only a few more days until it is fully released. The world will finally pay for taking my children away. I don't care what happens to me; I'll die by you or by it."

"So you give the demons access to pure pain and evil?" Dante shouted. "What kind of an idiot are you?"

Her face wrinkled in confusion. "Demons?"

"How do we stop it?" Lady snarled. "Tell us or we will kill you."

Isabelle laughed. "You have to find him. I don't know."

Vergil's heart started pounding as he felt his rage growing. He pressed the sword closer.

"You blame the world for losing your children?"

She glared up at him. "Someone killed my son and my daughter was tempted away from me."

"Your daughter killed your son and no one tempts her," he said. Her eyes widened. He could almost see her thoughts processing the information and the moment she realized what he said was true. Her entire face fell as her resolution shattered. He slid the sword across her throat and she slumped forward, blood pouring from her neck. He stepped away from the pooling red liquid. _Pathetic. _

Dante grabbed his shoulder and slammed him against the wall. Picture shattered as his back was rammed against them. They fell to the floor in a tinkling of glass.

"What the hell did you just do? We don't kill humans!" he shouted. Vergil grabbed the lapels of his brother's coat with both hands and shoved him back.

"You don't kill humans," he said coolly. "I do what is needed. She wanted to die and she is the reason it is here."

"That was Evangeline's mother," Dante hissed.

"She's no different than anyone else who deserved to die," Vergil said. "Now let me go, Dante."

Dante released Vergil's shoulders. The air between them seemed to crackle with suppressed rage.

"You haven't changed."

"It was necessary. And if you want justification, she would have told someone else about how to summon it."

"You don't know that."

"Stop being a fool, Dante," Vergil said. Dante seemed to deflate with disappointment in his brother and in himself for partially acknowledging that he was right.

Lady stared openmouthed at the situation unfolding. Suddenly, she found her voice.

"We need to go," Lady said. She quickly ran out of the room. Dante stared at his brother for a moment longer before following. Trish and Vergil were left alone. Trish looked at him then grabbed the photo of Evangeline and her brother from the mantle. She began walking out.

"Are you coming?"

Vergil took one last look at the body before leaving. There was no rush as he killed the old woman. Instead, cold resignation had overtook him and numbed any regret.

########

The entire room stopped seemed to ignore the demoness holding onto Evangeline. She felt her whole body tremble, and slight stutter of breath escaped her lips.

"You've certainly changed," Evangeline whispered.

"Yes, well, shortly after you escaped we were attacked by this…thing. All they need to do is touch you and your infected. And master controls us all. Even the mighty Mundus is running scared. Of course the weaker demons turn to dust sooner while one's like me linger. Linger in absolute misery."

"Are you going to kill me?"

The demoness spun Evangeline to face her. She stared directly into the ugly mar on her face.

"No. I can't kill you because master didn't order it," she played with a lock of Evangeline's hair. "I hate having no control because I really want to kill you. But my orders are to infect."

"What is it?" Evangeline asked, her voice choking.

The demoness looked down and seemed to blink away tears. "It's suffering and we are the hosts for all we inflicted."

She bit the finger of her glove and pulled it off with her teeth. "At least I can torture you one last time."

The demoness touched Evangeline's cheek. It stung as if she were bitten. Evangeline grabbed the hilt of the blade hidden under her coat and swung it towards the face of the demon. She shrieked as the blade bit into her neck, but the shriek was silenced as her skin turned black and began to crumble away.

Evangeline ran from the room as the inhabitants began to stir out of their stupor. Feet pounding on the pavement, she ran back to Devil May Cry, hearing no one follow behind her. Her chest stung as if a worm were burying itself within her. Her chest was heaving and felt as if it would burst when she arrived at the shop and slammed the doors shut behind her.

She ran to the back where the bathroom was located and began taking off her clothes. They stuck to her body with sweat. In the mirror she examined every inch of skin frantically, starting with her cheek. She checked her back and legs and any hidden spot she could think of. There was only pale skin. With a heavy sigh, she slumped to the floor exhausted. When she closed her eyes, she saw Vergil and a few tears slid down her cheeks as she trembled on the cold floor.

* * *

_**Criticisms are welcome. Or if you just like it, that's cool too ^_^**_


	12. Chapter 12

_**I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the characters, plots, locations, stories, etc. there of. I do not own the poem "Invictus" by ****William Earnest Henley or any of the lines or phrases within the poem. **_

_**Thank to all the readers and reviewers. **_

_**I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
**_

* * *

Evangeline ran a hair brush through her red curls. She checked her bare shoulders in the mirror and lifted up her shirt to reveal her stomach, seeing only pale flesh. The clock on the bathroom wall ticked the time by, seemingly slowing down after every second until a moment stretched in an eternity. She waited, unable to sleep after returning to her apartment. The clocked continued its countdown that filled the air with a constant song of reminder that he was not there. She threw the brush at the clock, sending it clattering to the floor.

Leaving the bathroom, she stepped out into the bedroom filled with the afternoon sun that was fading into twilight with every tick. She climbed into the bed and buried her face in the covers, searching for any scent that may be his.

From the living room there was the loud bang of the door being slammed open. She leapt out of the bed and ran to the other room.

"Vergil!"

Vergil stood there, his hands in fists and his jaw clenched. From their sockets, his blue eyes had become like daggers that seemed to pierce the world around him. He lifted his eyes to her, and she could feel the blades of gaze striking her. Then he rushed towards her and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace. He buried his face in her hair as she pressed hers into his chest.

The door slammed open again and Dante emerged. Vergil's arms suddenly became rigid and he turned to face his brother who stood at the door, his gaze lowered on his twin.

"What's going on?" Evangeline asked.

"Tell her, Vergil," Dante ordered, his voice full of menace.

"Go away. You're not welcome here," Vergil hissed. He tightened his grip around her, causing a brief, sharp pain through her side.

"You're not going to tell her. Not so unrepentant now. Fine, I'll tell her," he turned his eyes to Evangeline. "He killed your mother."

The world stopped for a moment as she held her breath. She realized Vergil had done the same. The new reality seemed to cause the earth to shake as it adjusted to the absence of her mother. Gone forever. She tried to remember the last moment she saw her, but it was like grasping at grains of sand that slipped from your fingers and disappeared in the tide. The image would not stay, and all she saw was Vergil's face looking at her in expectation; a stone mask.

"She helped start the infection by giving a demon the spells needed. She was a part of the infection," Vergil said quietly.

"I don't care," she said. "It doesn't matter to me."

His eyes narrowed.

"I told you. There's nothing you can do. I need you, and I don't care if that's you as a demon, a murderer, or a priest," Evangeline said. The thought of him leaving caused her throat to tighten. Something the news of her mother's death did not accomplish. "I can't judge you, and I need you as you are."

"You have to be joking. You don't care? Your mother….your mother!" Dante yelled.

"Get out!" Vergil yelled.

Dante's lip curled into a snarl for a moment, before he let out a derisive snort.

"Whatever, man. You two deserve each other." He left, slamming the door behind him. The wood of the door frame made a sharp crack.

Vergil looked down at Evangeline, and pushed her gently to arm's length.

"I had to do it," he said. She did not reply. "Are you okay?"

She looked up at him, her mouth slightly open and her eyes pulled down at corners. It was a blank expression, as if everything within her mind had ceased function. Her eyes suddenly snapped back into life and she cleared her throat.

"My mother was a part of my other life. It's like I died and came back anew. Now my life is you." She paused. "I…I don't know what I would do without you. I don't know anything else and I don't care to."

"I missed you so much," Vergil said, softly.

The moment seemed to snap and they fell into each other, lips crashing together in desperation and longing. He wrapped his fingers in her hair, trailing kisses down her neck. She closed her eyes, focusing on his hot breath on her skin. Grabbing his face, she forced his lips upwards towards hers. In retaliation, he lifted her up, wrapping her legs around his waist as he led her to the bedroom.

He laid her on the bed, pinning her wrists together with one hand. Her chest heaved as she gazed up at him. She stared with dark eyes, lips twisted in sinister grin. Her face mocked him, challenging him to make her scream. At that moment, she wanted him to make it hurt. His eyes blazed with desire to change that expression; wisps of demonic blue floating from them. Her grin widened and he tore away her top with a loud rip, running his hands along her bare skin, following every curve.

She struggled free of his grasp and began removing his own clothing, feeling the hard muscles tense under his skin. He ran his hand along her back, relishing the smooth firmness of her scars contrasted with the soft, supple skin of unmarred flesh.

Vergil laid his body against hers, naked flesh hot to the touch. Pulling her underneath him, he pressed his hips against hers. A small gasp released itself as feeling of pleasure shot through her and she raked her fingernails down his back. His hand traveled to her thighs as he removed her skirt. Evangeline arched her back in the expectation of his touch only to feel his hands travel back up to her waist. Angry, she pushed him back and fumbled with removing his black pants. They eventually fell to the floor with his aid and he again drew his body to hers.

Their eyes met, piercing through the darkness. He smirked and kissed her, biting her thin lip firmly. She gasped, pressing herself more strongly against him in wanting. Her resolve broke, and she allowed him to see the desire filling, and she begged him silently to go further. He ran his hand along her cheek and through her hair, positioning her beneath him.

Her body began to tremble with anticipation. She ran her hands down his chest, watching his pale skin appear between her fingers.

On the knuckle of her right hand, beneath the middle finger was a spot of red and black the size of a quarter.

Her eyes widened and she shoved Vergil to the side, darting to the bathroom and locking the door behind her.

Vergil stared at the spot she had been with bafflement. After a moment he stood and walked over to the bathroom door, knocking softly.

Evangeline ran water over the red and black spot, frantically scrubbing at it with a washcloth. No amount of soap removed it and her skin became red and raw from her scratching at it with her fingernails. She sobbed, trying to muffle the sound in her throat.

_Please god, please god_, she prayed over and over again in her head. She covered her mouth with her uninfected hand, slumping to the floor. Panic overwhelmed and she stared frantically around the room unsure of what she should do. Her mind filled with images of her fading into black dust. She could hear Vergil's soft knocks at the door and became fearful.

"Don't come in," she said.

"Are you alright? Did I hurt you?" came his muffled voice through the door.

Her hands trembled, and she covered the infected spot with her free hand, fearful that he should see. Tears began to stream down her face.

"No, you didn't hurt me."

A pause. "Is it your mother?"

She shook her head. "No," she answered, her voice squeaking.

"Evangeline, if you don't open the door I am breaking it down."

Vergil heard a deep breath and the click of the lock being released. She stepped out, her face wet with tears and clutching her right hand. Her naked body trembled violently.

"What happened?" he asked. She stared up at him with fear and sadness which started his heart pounding at the unfamiliar sight.

"I did something really stupid when you were gone."

She lifted her left hand away, and he saw the red and black spot. Without thinking, he rushed to grab her as if she may disappear at any moment. Quickly, she stepped away avoiding his reach.

"Don't touch me," she snapped.

"I already did," he replied, and grabbed her shoulders to pull her towards him. She began crying, deep moans resonating from her chest.

"I'm so sorry," she repeated over and over as he rocked her in his arms. The entire world seemed silent and still. Inside, everything seemed to be screaming and he searched the room as if there might be some answer that he didn't have; all he could do was hold her.

#######

Dante fumed, the shot of Jack Daniel's in his hand almost boiling with is anger. He stared at an empty can sitting on the window sill, made his fingers in the shape of a gun, and silently shot an imaginary bullet at it.

"Nice shot," Lady said. She moved around the desk to where he was sitting. "You want to talk about it?"

"Nope," he said and downed the shot.

"I know it's disappointing to you that your brother isn't what you imagined," Lady said. Dante poured another glass. She quickly moved the glass away from his fingers, some of the whisky splashing out and onto her shorts.

"I don't really like him, but no one's perfect and he at least cares enough to be around."

Dante shrugged. "Whatever makes them happy."

"I thought we were just talking about your brother," Lady said flatly, raising an eyebrow. Dante stared at her mismatched eyes; they gleamed with the "gotcha" moment. They seemed very beautiful at that moment, and his eyes trailed further down to where her shirt was slightly open.

"I can find things to help me forget," he said. Lady reached for her gun and the doors to the shop opened. Vergil strode in, carrying Evangeline in his arms. She stared off into the distance, her eyes focused on nothing.

"What are you doing here?" Dante said, slamming his hands on the desk. His anger quickly diminished when he saw his brother's face. Dante remembered seeing that expression when they were children attacked by demons; it was fear.

"She's infected," he said.

Lady shot over to Evangeline, placing a hand on her forehead and checking for any symptoms. Vergil showed her hand to Lady, the small spot had not grown but a few more had developed further up her arm.

"Trish!" Lady shouted. Shuffling from upstairs and Trish stood at the top of the stairs.

"What?"

"Evangeline's infected." Trish rushed down the stairs.

"Put her on the couch."

Vergil propped her on the couch; she didn't move.

"What's wrong?" Trish asked, kneeling next to her.

"She's in shock," Vergil said. He grabbed her face between his hands and turned her to face him.

"Evangeline, look at me," he said. Her eyes snapped into focus.

"I need you to tell me what happened," he said, his voice calmer than his panicked emotions.

Trish lifted up Evangeline's sleeve and examined her arm without touching her. The spots of infection had reached her shoulder.

"Are you infected?" Trish asked Vergil. He shook his head. "It might have something to do with her being human. It looked like the demons were trying intentionally to infect the others."

Vergil stared at Evangeline, unconcerned with what Trish had to say.

"Tell me what happened," he said again.

"Remember that entrance with the drug dealer," she started weakly. "I saw my brother there and I thought you would just think I was seeing things. So when you gone I went to check it out. The entire inside was covered with it, or at least it looked like it to me. It didn't seem to stick to the humans, though. I got scared and tried to leave, but the demoness from the prison, she was there and she stopped me."

"What did she say?"

"She said something about the master who's controlling those infected and it frightened the underworld. Then she said something about it being pure misery. Then she touched me with her bare hand and I stabbed her and ran away."

"That matches what her mother said," Lady commented.

Dante observed the scene from his desk, watching from the corner of his eye. Anger made him pretend not to care, but he listened intently to every word.

"I'm so sorry. It was really dumb. I was just trying to help. It was so dumb," Evangeline murmured. "They turn into dust. I'm going to turn into dust."

She began breathing quickly and shaking again. Trish checked her pulse.

"Evangeline, you need to calm down now," she said to Evangeline then turned to Vergil. "Can you take her upstairs to my room? It's the first one on the left."

Vergil carefully scooped her into his arms bridal style and carried her up the stairs to Trish's room. He laid her down on the bed, her breath seemingly returning to normal. Her eyes were sorrowful as she stared at him, lacking their usually intensity. Even the demon essence seemed to have faded. Her face no longer resembling that of the cat he saw when he first met her, but a withered and frightened girl.

"I'm dying," she said.

He pulled the sheet over her.

"You're dying for now. But you won't die because I won't let it," he said to her, tucking the sheets in around her. He stopped halfway through as he realized that it would do nothing to help her. They couldn't rid her body of its plague any more than he could in that moment.

His knees felt weak and he slumped to the floor next to the bed, helplessness overpowering his will. He reached for her hand and pressed his lips against her fingers, images of them in the prison, her torture, and his mother played out in his mind.

"I wish I didn't have to leave you alone," she said.

"Stop talking like that," he snapped. "You're not leaving me."

She smiled. "Sorry I ruined sex."

"It wouldn't be the first time," he said, trying to turn up the corners of his lips but failing. He rested his head on the bed.

"Am I going to die?"

His head shot off the bed and he stood up. "No."

Like the hounds of hell were on his heels, he left the room only making it a few steps down the hall before stopping. He leaned against the wall, his legs unable to carry him with the weight suddenly put upon him. As he took a deep breath, the weight on his body seemed to lift but his soul felt as if it may fall out of him through his feet. He traversed the stairs as if they were an insurmountable task.

At the bottom he turned to Trish and Lady who were speaking quietly with Dante.

"Go keep her company," he said, his eyes downcast. They were like marble, lifeless and cold.

Trish grabbed Lady's arm and led her up the stairs before she could protest. Dante sat at is desk, long legs crossed in front of him and hands behind his head.

"I need to find that demon."

"We don't even know where it is," Dante said.

"We need to find it now."

"I'll call a few people…"

Vergil slammed his fist on the desk, face muscles twitching and eyes wide.

"We need to go and find it! Not make a few calls." He shoved the desk back, knocking Dante's feet off it. Dante hardly moved in response, unable to react to his brother's sudden influx of emotions.

"I do not have enough power! I cannot cure her. I cannot save her and I cannot protect her!" Vergil flipped the desk, and Dante jumped out of the way. "I cannot defeat whatever this is."

He turned away, running his hands through his hair. Like a wounded animal, he hunched his shoulders forward, becoming smaller, and to Dante, weaker. He straightened his back and smoothed out his silver hair. His long fingers fiddled with the hilt of Yamato for a moment before he turned back to his brother, his face emotionless marble.

"You'll figure this out. We'll figure this out," Dante said.

Vergil said nothing, leaving only a passing look as he walked out of the shop.

#######

"So, when did you start liking Dante?" Evangeline asked Lady. She sat on the bed, her back against the headboard; Lady in a chair in the corner. Lady's face flushed bright red and her eye began to twitch ever slightly.

"I don't like Dante," she snapped, glancing at the door as if fearful he might hear her answer.

"Yes, you do. I'm dying, the least you guys can do is be honest," Evangeline said. She reached her hand up and gingerly touched her neck where the sores had spread. They itched every time they formed.

"I mean, both of you have to like him. Of course it is kind of Oedipal if he goes out with you, Trish," Evangeline said. Trish had a soft smile on her face; it was hard to hate someone who only had a limited time left. She reached into her drawer and withdrew the picture of Evangeline and her brother.

"I think he likes you too, Lady. You should at least try….and he's really good in bed," Evangeline smirked. Lady writhed wanting to pull out her gun or yell something, but she stopped herself as she noticed the sores had formed on Evangeline's cheek.

Trish set the picture on her nightstand. Evangeline gently picked it up, running a thumb over the glass above her brother's face. Her face became hard with her mouth down turned firmly. All Evangeline could see was her brother infected. They had shared everything, and apparently they would be linked in death as well.

"Where's Vergil," Evangeline asked, not lifting her eyes from the picture.

"He probably went out to hunt whoever is causing this," Lady responded.

"I'd much rather he stay here. Be here when I die," Evangeline said quietly, placing the photo back on the nightstand.

"He's doesn't see it like that," Dante said as he stepped into the room. Evangeline felt a pang of sadness when she saw Vergil's form in Dante.

"Lady likes you. I want you two to go on a date as a last wish," Evangeline said. Lady made a choking noise.

"You're not going to die. We're going to figure this out," Dante said, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"I wish everyone would stop telling me that and just…."

Evangeline's head snapped to the side in mid-sentence, creating a near right angle in her neck. Her entire body stiffened and her eyes rolled wildly in her head. Her head snapped to the other side and her arms began to twist at odd angles. Mouth open wide, she let out a single shriek and fell to the bed thrashing.

Dante rushed to grab the flailing limbs as she howled and screamed like a demon, arching her back in obvious pain. Tears streamed down her cheeks, plastering her red hair to her face. Hands gripped the bed, tearing the sheets from the mattress.

"What do we do?" Lady screamed also reaching to detain the thrashing woman.

"Find some way to tie her down," Dante said, holding on to Evangeline's arm. Her eyes opened slightly and he could see no green irises, only black and red. At that moment Evangeline tried to tear herself away from Dante, her face filled with panic. The three devil hunters scrambled to pin her down.

########

Evangeline felt the moment the infection fully took hold. In a moment she was staring at Dante, and then suddenly her body lost all control. Her mind fell into a panic as she tried to control her arms and legs and realized she couldn't. Pain raced through her sinews and muscles, seemingly eating away at her organs.

But what caused her to scream, was the single sensation of misery through her mind and soul. It lanced its claws into her and refused to let go, digging deeper as she struggled. Every guilt, sadness, and pain she had ever felt seemed like a grain of sand on the beach of her current suffering. When she opened her eyes, all she saw were the walls, the bed, and herself covered in the red and black infection without an inch of skin visible; every surface buried and writhing as if it were alive. Pounding against her ears, the sounds of moans and shrieks that permeating from every corner. Figures vaguely human covered in it reached for her and she struggled against them. They locked her hands and feet into place and stared down. From the bottom of the bed, her brother's head rose up and he began to crawl towards her slowly.

She screamed.

########

The human's head it with the wall with a sickening crack of bone and flesh. They stood in the dark bar Evangeline had visited. It was a shanty of concrete and rotting wood that seemed uninhabitable. The few people in it had fled and Vergil had snatched the man as he was beginning to run.

"The demoness who was stabbed in here yesterday. What was she doing and where did she come from?" Vergil asked, his voice cold without inflection.

"I don't know," the human sputtered, his ugly face made worse by the fear that twisted his face. "Demon's run this place and the humans are there to just do odd jobs. They don't tell me what's going on unless they need something done."

Vergil raised Yamato, ready to strike the whimpering man.

"I'll tell you," said a deep voice from behind Vergil. He turned his head slightly and saw a very tall man standing. He had deep brown hair and pale skin, looking nearly human. For a moment Vergil thought the man had no eyes when he realized they were completely black and unblinking. Vergil let the human go and he skittered away.

"And how can I trust you?" Vergil said, lowering his eyes.

The tall demon spread his arms and shrugged. On his exposed wrists were spots of red and black.

"This suffering is something I wish to end. I do not want to be a slave and I no longer wish to feel this pain. The entire demonic world is at a standstill, fleeing from it and soon it will be in the human world. Once the infection has a host it is no longer isolated and continues to spread," he sat on a nearby stool, his legs easily reaching the floor. "Ironic that in order to save the human world you must save the devils as well."

"What do you want out of this?"

The demon smiled, exposing yellow teeth. "I want you to kill me. I do not wish for it to take me forever. In exchange I will tell you what I know."

Vergil sheathed Yamato.

"Stronger demons last longer, so I was ordered here to help open portals to prepare for its coming to the human world. There are several, I opened the one just outside of town but I do not know where the others are. The demon controlling it is in the underworld and I cannot begin to prepare you for what you would see down there or how to stop him. But, I think it will be obvious where he is."

"I don't know if I can trust this information," Vergil said.

"It is all you have. I completed my purpose and my life will end soon. But I do not wish to be dust," the demon said. Vergil was stuck by his quiet calm; how simply he spoke of dying.

"Is it really so terrible?"

The demon's eyes betrayed nothing, but the slight downturn of his mouth revealed all. "It is hell. Please destroy it. Remember, outside the city on the northern side. You won't be able to miss the demons."

In one smooth motion, Vergil unsheathed Yamato and sliced towards the demon. Before his body crumbled to pieces, he smiled and closed his eyes, becoming human for a moment before his death.

##########

Vergil heard the screams and ran up the stairs. Evangeline's back was twisted as she tried to break out of her bonds and struggle away from some unseen enemy; every limb freckled in spots of black and red. Her eyes had become a solid mass of it. She coughed and blood sputtered out of her mouth, black and thick. It streamed forth from her eyes, a mock stigmata.

Lady held her hands over her mouth in the corner while Trish and Dante knelt next to Evangeline, whispering softly to her. They raised their heads as Vergil entered. He rushed to the bed, nearly knocking over Dante as he knelt. His hands hovered above her body, unsure of whether he should touch her. Then he laid a hand on her forehead and she slowed for a moment.

"Evangeline," he said softly. She tilted her head towards him for a moment as if listening then began screaming. It sounded like itself was coming through her vocal chords. He rested his hand on her cheek, but she continued writhing and sputtering blood. He said her name again, but there was no sign of comprehension.

"She started shortly after you left," Dante said.

"Leave," Vergil whispered. Dante placed his hand on his brother's shoulder before gesturing to Lady and Trish and exiting the room with them in tow.

Vergil stared at his lover for a moment and his hand reached for his sword before stopping. She was like a wounded animal, unable to respond to the world in its agony.

"I should have been more powerful. This wouldn't have happened," he said. She did not respond.

_Out of the night that covers me, black as the pit from pole to pole._

Lifting himself up slightly, he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "I love you."

#########

Her brother leaned over her body, his devilish smile mocking. All around her was darkness and cries of pain. An ocean of misery.

#########

Dante watched his brother slowly descend the stairs. It seemed as though lead weights were placed upon his shoulders.

"We need to go to the north of the city. Leave Lady and Trish here," Vergil said, reaching the bottom.

"Why?" Lady snapped.

"Because Dante and I are going into hell."

########

They stood at the precipice, the dust from slain infected demons floating around their boots. The concrete shimmered like the air above hot cement or a mirror made of mercury.

"Are we sure this isn't a trap?" Dante asked, tapping the portal with one booted foot.

"No, but we don't have a choice," Vergil said. He flexed his hands, loosening the tension in his fingers. He saw Evangeline's bloodied face and plunged into the portal.

Vergil could hear Dante shouting behind him, but it was cut off as he crossed over. He passed through what felt like a thin membrane then landed feet first on the ground, immediately withdrawing Yamato from its resting place. From behind him he heard the sound of his brother's landing, but could not see him.

Around them, the air swirled with dust carried up by storm-like winds. Along with the dust, came the cries of demons shrieking in pain rather than conquest. The ground was thick with it, and Vergil brushed it aside with a boot to reveal the red and black infection that writhed like so many tiny worms. Briefly, he shuddered.

Dante placed his hand on Vergil's shoulder, and they peered into the distance. The wind died down slightly and they saw dark brown sky the color of a bruise and rocks a valley of claw shaped rocks covered in red and black; a place Vergil recognized. The infection stretched as far as they could see, covered by the shifting black dust. From the dust floating along the ground, demons would rise up like whales form the ocean and utter one last cry before disappearing into the black, becoming ash themselves.

Everywhere they were moaning and shrieking, making the air thick with their misery. In the distance was a single pulsing brown light, sickly in appearance. It rested slightly above the mass of suffering, a beacon of infestation.

Dante's grip tightened on Vergil's shoulder and he knew that his brother felt the same pit in his stomach as he did. His skin seemed to crawl with the remains of the infection's dead. Vergil tried brushing it off his blue coat, only to have it quickly replaced by more. He glanced at his brother's face which was covered in a fine layer of the black dust, his hair appearing ebony.

Vergil pointed to the light in the distance and Dante nodded. With unsure steps they began their journey into hell's hell.

_I thank whatever gods may be, for my unconquerable soul._

_

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**Let me know what you think. Peace.**  
_


	13. Chapter 13

_**I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the stories, characters, plots, locations, etc. thereof. **_

_**Thank you to all my readers and reviewers; I really appreciate it. **_

_**This took a little longer to get out. I had a couple of tests this week. **_

_**Please enjoy. RR  
**_

* * *

Vergil shielded his eyes with his arm, peering through squinted eyes into the dust. Dante had his down close to his brother's back, his hand on his shoulder, protecting his own face from the swirling blackness. They kept their limbs close to their body, avoiding touching anything in the diseased landscape. The ground, covered in infection, seemed to grow around their feet and tug at them, wanting to keep them in their place. The air howled and demons screamed, making it impossible to hear anything except their misery. Occasionally from the swirling dust, a demon would appear briefly, already falling to pieces, and reach out to them in desperation before disappearing, mouths open in silent screams. None attacked, but only seemed to be pleading for help. A strange sympathy tugged at Vergil as he saw them. It was a dead land; nothing living stirred.

They moved towards the brown light in the distance, but could hardly navigate through the different obstacles in the landscape and the dust that thickened the air. Several times after the wind had died down, they would realize they had wandered in the wrong direction and change course to once again follow the light. But as they drew closer, it grew more visible until it could be seen through the swirling black air. It emanated from the top of a tall structure, resembling a termite mound. The sides were pockmarked with caves that appeared as black spots from further away.

They came to the base and stared up at the light that appeared half a mile high up the termite mound. Unwilling to climb in the shifting air and unwilling to touch the surface covered in the infection which ran like a waterfall down its sides. Vergil circled until he came to a cave that led down into the structure and stepped through.

Immediately, everything stopped: the howling, the wind, and the dust. An eerie yellow light permeated the cave, revealing walls of stone and not infection; a normal cave. Vergil glanced at Dante, and in unison they began frantically brushing the black dust from them. It floated to the stone floor of the cave in little puffs.

"It looks like the infection isn't here," Dante said, scrubbing at his scalp with his fingertips.

Vergil scanned for anything moving in the yellow light. "It's the epicenter of the infection. It's coming from here."

"If I know anything about demons, they will be at the top of the tower," Dante said, starting down the cave.

Vergil followed, checking behind him as he walked. They came upon a fork in the cave tunnel, each leading to a pitch black pathway. Dante peered down one and drew his pistols.

"You go right, I go left," Vergil said. Dante stared at him ready to protest.

"We need to find it as soon as possible and hope that if we do we can handle it," Vergil responded to his brother's look.

"Of course, I can handle it. I'm worried about you," Dante shrugged and began walking down the tunnel to the right. He glanced back.

"Vergil?" he said. "If I get infected and you can't stop it, kill me before I turn into dust."

"Only if you do the same for me," Vergil replied.

"Also, if something happens, I hope you an Evangeline will be happy."

"Dante, just go down the tunnel," Vergil snapped, but his heart sank lower.

Dante grinned at Vergil one last time and disappeared into the darkness of the tunnel, the last thing he could was a flash of white hair.

"Don't get yourself killed!" Dante cried from down the path. His voice bounced off the cave's walls.

Vergil looked down his own tunnel and began walking, plunging himself into the darkness.

########

Lady stared at Evangeline. The spots of infection had grown into lesions which covered large swaths of skin, and she still struggled but seemed to have slowed down. Whether it was out of exhaustion or the infection's progression, Lady didn't know. She bit her fingernail as she watched, unsure of what to do except stare at the dying woman.

Lady turned her head towards the door as Trish entered.

"Who was the phone call from?" she asked.

"It was a client," Trish replied. "There are more demons coming out. A portal was opened in the middle of town in an abandoned warehouse. I'm going to go check it out."

"I'll go with you," Lady said, standing up from the bed.

"No, you won't," Trish said firmly. "You need to stay with her."

"She's either going to die or Dante will save her. Either way, I can't do anything," Lady said. Trish set her mouth into a thin line and lowered her eyes at her friend.

"The dying shouldn't be left alone."

Lady looked back at Evangeline, her anger towards the woman lessening. Evangeline let out a gasp that gurgled then coughed out another gush of blood. The sheets were stained with it.

"Alright," Lady said, her eyes returning to Trish.

There was a loud crash of metal against metal from outside. They quickly hurried down the stairs and peered out the dirty windows of the shop.

Outside, people were screaming and running away, the sound having been caused by two vehicles colliding. Emerging from the darkness were demons, covered in red and black sores and jerking along as if pulled by strings. They swarmed the streets, reaching for the humans who tried to flee. Some managed to escape, while others were caught and torn apart. A lump appeared in Trish's throat as she began counting each demon. The number grew quickly with no end in sight.

"Lady, turn out the light," she whispered.

Lady held a pistol in one hand and reached for the light switch with the other, plunging the shop into darkness. Her hand scrambled for the light for the sign outside, and the last thing they saw before the neon light went out was another mass of demon's entering the street in front of them. Trish darted to the door and locked it.

"What are you doing? We need to go out and kill them," Lady hissed.

"Did you see how many there were? There must be another portal nearby and I don't know how many there will be," Trish whispered.

"What about the people?"

"Lady, if I go out there I will get infected and you might too. This isn't something we can just shoot away. It's like a disease and the best way to stay safe is avoid it," Trish said, her voice trembling. Of all the demons she had faced, these were the first that made her feel helpless and scared. She imagined being covered in red and black spots, writhing in pain as Evangeline did while others looked on helplessly. At that moment, she wasn't even sure Dante and Vergil were still alive. A shudder wracked her frame.

Evangeline screamed from the room above. Lady and Trish looked at each other briefly before running up the stairs to quiet her. Lady quickly put on a pair of gloves, grabbed a bloody towel, and placed it between Evangeline's teeth, tying it behind her head. Evangeline whimpered slightly, but the noise was muffled into soft sound.

They paused for a moment to listen. No noises came from downstairs.

"I'm going to lock the hallway door," Trish said.

"We should leave."

"I don't want to go outside," Trish said. There was a loud bang of something hitting the doors downstairs. Trish locked the door to the bedroom. They posed themselves at the door, guns drawn, silently praying they would not be used.

#######

The darkness was full and unabated as Vergil made his way down the tunnel. He ran his hand along the wall to feel the twists and turns of the path. Even with his abnormally high awareness, he still managed to stumble on stones in his path, his eyes unable to find any source of light. It felt as if he would walk off a cliff at any moment and plunge into the end of the universe.

His hand along the wall met air and he could hear the whistling of air through tunnels. He closed his eyes and his devil form sprang up around him, emitting a soft blue glow. In front of him, the tunnel split into three. He chose the one that appeared to be going up and began walking, replacing his devil form with his human form which again plunged him into darkness.

Trailing his hand along the wall again, he felt it brush something thin and soft that shifted through his finger. He grabbed a hold of it and pulled, something disturbingly like flesh falling against him.

"Vergil," it whispered and he dropped it, switching back into his devil form for light. He scanned the floor and found nothing. A rustling came from beside him and he turned his head to see a familiar face, its blonde hair matted in blood and its mouth and eyes open wide in terror, falling towards him. He stumbled backwards away from his mother's descending body, stumbling on a small stalagmite. After regaining his balance, he looked around frantically, his chest heaving quickly. There was nothing there.

He rubbed his face with his hand and realized it was trembling. Clenching it into a fist, he took a deep breath and continued, still in his devil form. Darkness was not something Vergil had ever been afraid of, but for the first time in his life, it unsettled him. He hated that the place seemed to be toying with him, dredging up memories so that it became worse than the blasted and infected landscape outside the structure.

The tunnel was silent, save for the gentle whistle of air moving through the tunnel. He followed the sound in hopes it would lead him to an opening. It again split into a fork, and he listened closely to the sound of the wind, determining that it was coming from the right tunnel.

From the left he heard the shuffle of feet on stone. Peering down it, he saw flash of red hair. Out of the shadow she emerged, skin slightly luminescent so that she visible in the darkness. A smile played on her lips and she held out her hands for a moment, beckoning, before her face twisted in horror and she darted down the tunnel.

"Evangeline!" Vergil shouted and chased after her. His mind reeled with the sight of her, and it seemed as if his feet had developed a mind of their own. Suspicion gnawed at him, but he couldn't risk the idea that she had been captured or if she were slipping away.

He would see her glowing form for a second, before it disappeared and reappeared further down. Then she seemed to melt into the darkness. As he ran further, a slow roar began to grow. It resonated through the cave until the tunnel walls fell away he emerged into a cavern filled with the roar.

Evangeline stood across the cavern, standing on her tip toes as if balancing and staring down. She glanced up, took a step, and began falling.

"Evangeline!'

He took a step forward, and as he did, in the glow of his devil form, a pit emerged. Immediately, he halted only to have the ground give way and he began falling.

########

Trish and Lady could hear the sound of the desk being broken apart into splinters downstairs. Items crashed into walls and one another, and the sound of stomping feet and grunts echoed up to their hiding place. Trish leaned her weight against the door, pressing her ear against it, listening.

"Trish, something's wrong," Lady said. She watched Evangeline; her breathing had become shallow and her chest shuddered with each exhale. Through the gag, she gasped as if choking. Trish walked over the bed and upon seeing Evangeline's state, removed the towel. Evangeline's breath remained labored.

Trish sighed. "I don't know how much longer she'll last."

A crash on the stairs. They rushed to the door, listening for any sound. There was a grunt and another crash as the demons entered the bathroom across the hallway. Breathing on the other side of the door, and the thump of weight resonated through the door. They braced themselves against the door, hearts pounding.

##########

Evangeline was falling, tumbling head over heels into darkness. Her brother's face was always below her, smiling.

##########

Vergil's hands grasped at air as he slipped off the edge of giant chasm. He felt a strong hand grip him around the arm, and he was dragged back; his feet found solid ground.

"Told you I had worry about what happened to you. Can't even keep yourself out of a hole," Dante said, letting go of his arm.

Vergil glared at his brother's face, only slightly visible in the darkness. He could see his white teeth exposed in a smile.

"It's dark," he snapped.

"What are you doing down here? The other tunnel leads up."

"I thought I saw something."

"I did too. This place is playing tricks. It showed me you and mom bloodied and dying." Dante smiled again. "But I didn't go chasing them."

"Quiet, Dante. We need to find the source."

Vergil shoved past his brother. Dante followed, and they walked back to the other tunnel. He heard the whistling of air and followed it. The tunnel sloped up in a hill, the whistling growing louder as they walked. Eventually, the tunnel slowly began to lighten until they emerged into another cavern, lit by a brownish yellow light.

The floor was covered with the red and black infection, moving up and down as if breathing. It wrapped itself around broken pillars and stone, seemingly a pool of blight. Vergil looked around the large room, wondering if there was any way around it.

"I don't want to step on that," Dante said.

"We don't have a choice."

Vergil took a tentative step forward. When nothing happened, he took another, slowly making his way across the room. Dante followed. Vergil felt the up and down motion of the mass breathing through his feet. After a moment, he realized it was getting faster. That's when the entire thing shifted, pulling itself out from under them, contracting into a giant blob in the middle of the room.

The infected blob groaned, and small tentacles grew from it, cracking the air like whips. On the front of the blob, the mass shifted resembling what might be considered a face on something with bones and flesh: two gaps for eyes and gash for a mouth. It groaned again, expanding to become larger as if it were filling with gas.

"I always hate fighting blobs. This is going to be a party," Dante said. He drew is sword, and Vergil followed, unsheathing Yamato.

Dante yelled and rushed towards the demon. Vergil jumped back several feet to avoid a tentacle darting towards him. From beneath the monster, more tentacles were released, racing along the grown like demonic snakes. Vergil balanced himself on a broken pillar, sending a stream of ice swords that materialized out of thin air. The swords shattered as they struck the demon, doing no noticeable damage. Focusing, he slashed down with Yamato, energy slicing through the air, slicing into the demon. The demon shrieked as a stream of dark blood oozed from it. It lashed out with another tentacle, and Vergil leapt from his spot. He switched into his devil form, feeling the power envelop him, strength surging through him.

Dante stabbed the demon, meeting firm resistance. He tugged back on the sword, feeling it stick in the demon. The demon's form grew around his hand as he struggled, and with an extra surge of strength, Dante pulled the sword from it. Dante switched into his devil form and brought the sword down again on the demon, slicing through tentacles and the bulk of the demon until it bit into the floor.

It cried out, flailing its limbs, its mouth open wide. The edges of the wound began to flake and turn into dust. Vergil sent out another blade of energy at the demon and it cried out one last time, creating a giant gash in the creature. Tentacles dissolved into dust and fell to the ground followed by the rest of the demon. It let out one last cry before dissolving completely into the black dust, leaving behind only a pile.

"Whoo!" Dante laughed. He glanced down at his hand; red and black covered his exposed fingers. He rubbed at it with his sleeve, but it remained. He placed his sword on his back and quickly shoved his hand in his pocket as Vergil approached him. An icy feeling started in his stomach, chilling him to the bone.

"You need to think before you attack," Vergil said, heading towards the opening to the tunnel at the other end of the cavern. "But I have a feeling we're getting close."

"Yeah," Dante said. "We should really hurry."

#########

Trish trembled as she felt the demon hit the door again and again. Evangeline had grown silent, and she wondered if she had stopped breathing. Then she gasped quietly and Trish was relieved for only a moment.

If she had to think of how she wanted to die, it would be in battle. She didn't want to waste away from a disease, to have her friends stand around her staring helplessly. More than anything, she didn't want to turn into dust and be forgotten.

Lady was crouched at Trish's feet, bracing the bottom of the door. She could see the shifting shadows from under the door. Suddenly, it stopped and the shadows seemed to disappear. She looked up at Trish.

"I think they might be gone," she mouthed.

With a shriek, a weight hit the door, cracking the frame. Trish shouted, putting her full strength against the barraging demons.

"Hold on!" she shouted at Lady. The doorframe cracked again and a single infected claw appeared between it and the door.

##########

"I can't tell you how sick of tunnels I am," Dante said from behind Vergil. They were again traversing another tunnel, filled with the same yellow light of the cavern before. It slanted upward and seemed to widen as they went along.

They rounded a corner, and forms crouching in the light became visible. The crouching figures raised their heads to reveal infected faces. The demons cried out before jerking forward towards them, the infection too far along for them to move quickly.

Vergil looked at Dante, who nodded and they rushed forward, swords flashing. Within a few moments, all the demons had dissolved into piles of black dust. They rushed down the tunnel, leaving the dying demons behind. Further down the tunnel another group appeared.

Their swords sent sparks against the wall as they slashed and hacked at the demons. The demons fell to the floor, dissolving into dust, but even as the piles grew the number of demons only seemed to increase. Wave after wave came after them, and Vergil had to move increasingly faster to avoid their grasping hands.

Eventually, the tunnel widened into another cavern that appeared like a monolithic stadium. It was vast, stretching well over ten stories high until the ceiling disappeared into shadows and half a mile wide.

Housed within it, were hundreds of different demons massed together and crying out. They moved slowly, tugged along by invisible strings like puppets. The demons didn't seem to notice that Vergil and Dante had appeared on the ledge overlooking them.

Vergil's eyes landed on the far side of the cavern where half way up stood the shadow of a human-like figure which stood in sickly brown light emanating from the tunnel behind it. It raised a hand and shouted, and the demons turned in unison, switching their full attention to Dante and Vergil. The master on the ledge disappeared into the tunnel.

"Dante, the master is up there," Vergil said, pointing.

"If you didn't notice, there are demons in the way," Dante said. He looked at his brother and gave a quick smile before diving into the mass.

With a growl, Vergil followed, Yamato slicing through a group of ten. He turned his attention to another group, cutting through them as if they were nothing but air, dust flying. His sword bit into demon after demon, seemingly never making a dent in the mass of them. Ignoring those beside him, he slashed his way forward, heading towards the tunnel the demon had disappeared in. Looking to his right, he saw Dante throwing himself at the demons as if he had a death wish. Dante pulled out a pistol and fired at the approaching fiends.

Vergil dodged a demon's hand and leapt forward landing on a low ledge below the tunnel. Running forward, he used the wall to push off and grasped the ledge the master demon had stood upon.

"Dante!" he shouted.

His brother looked up then elbowed the demon that had grasped his arm. Charging forward, Dante mowed down several demons before reaching the lower ledge and leaping forward to where Vergil stood. They looked down at the demons that stumbled forward, always reaching for them. Slowly, they began to climb, hundreds still left even after the assault.

Dante leaned against the wall, sweating and breathing heavily. The hand holding the pistol shook.

"What's wrong?" Vergil asked.

Dante held up his hand, revealing his hand covered in the infection. He smiled weakly. Vergil felt numb, unable to react to this revelation.

"Don't kill me yet," he said. "I'm going keep these guys off your back. You go after the master."

He was silent, still staring at his brother's hand.

"Verg," Dante said. Vergil looked into his brother's eyes: a match to his own. "You need to go. Kill the bastard, and then you can help me."

Vergil nodded and ran down the tunnel, not looking back at his brother. The tunnel was filled with the sickly brown light and the air was so thick Vergil felt as if he were swimming in it. Streaming down the tunnel floor was a river of the infection. His boots sent splashes of it up as he ran. It mad his skin crawl to see it.

The tunnel ended abruptly, and the sight in the next cavern made him stop dead in his tracks.

It was a small room of black stone that was filled with the brown light as if it were a fog. The room was cold, as if the air were dead. In the center of the room was a small black hole, and spewing forth from it was the infection. It sputtered and flowed from it, inching its way down the tunnel and out the large hole to the left which led to the outside. The source itself seemed so unassuming, but upon seeing it, Vergil was overtaken by waves of nausea and hopelessness that materialized within him without his will.

On the other side of the room, stood the black figure. It emerged from the shadows. The demon was small, not any taller than the average human, and thin. He was completely bald with small pointed ears and wide black eyes. Its nose was only a small slit in the middle of its face. Like the hole, initially the demon seemed unthreatening. Then Vergil saw it was clutching something in its left hand. As it walked forward, it appeared to be a large brown organ, like a heart, that beat slowly. Large veins attached it to the demon's hand, and Vergil could see the infection rushing through it like blood whenever the organ beat. His nose wrinkled in disgust at the sight of it.

The demon looked down at it then back at Vergil.

"All the power in the world, right here in the palm of my hand," the demon said.

He held out the organ to Vergil.

"Do you want it?"

* * *

_**Let me know what you think. Peace!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**_I do not own Devil May Cry or any of the characters, stories, plots, locations, etc. thereof_**. _**I do not own Henley's poem "Invictus" or any of its lines. **_

_**Thank you to all my readers and reviewers. Much obliged. To all the American's happy Thanksgiving. I hope you enjoyed your Turkey.  
**_

_**This is the final chapter for this story. Please let me know what you think. **_

_**Enjoy.  
**_

* * *

The demon's arm flailed between the door frame and the door pressing against it. The clawed hand was covered in red and black. Trish had her hands pressed against it, face strained with the effort, ducking backwards to prevent the demon from touching her.

"Lady!" Trish screamed, her arms buckling under the weight of the demon.

Lady placed herself in front of the demon, aiming between the crack in the door. It stared at her, eyes rolling into the back of its head. She squinted and fired one bullet, piercing the demon between the eyes. Its mouth opened wide and it disappeared into a fine black dust.

With the weight suddenly gone, Trish slammed the door shut. Her arms shook and she quickly brushed the dust from the arm underneath the door with her boot.

"Did more hear us?" Lady asked. They listened closely, but no sounds came downstairs.

"I don't know," she walked over to the dresser on the far wall. Lady joined her and together they lifted it, placing it in front of the door.

Trish ran a hand through her hair and heaved a sigh. _Dammit, Dante. Hurry, _she thought. She looked at Evangeline and quickly ran over, fearing that she wasn't breathing. Placing her ear over Evangeline's mouth, she prayed that she would inhale. Evangeline took in a single shuddered breath. Several seconds later she took in another. The moonlight fell on her skin, revealing the infection. Trish picked up a corner of the sheet gingerly and brushed it over Evangeline's sweating forehead. Small flakes of black dust fell from her skin. She placed a hand over her mouth.

"Is she okay?" Lady asked.

Trish shook her head. "No. She's mostly human so that slowed it down, but I don't think she has much time left."

Evangeline always thought she would know the moment she would die. She was alone in darkness, silence around her, and she could feel death slowly creeping. It was almost as if she could hear it in the distance, bearing down upon her like a train and she was unable to move.

############

"Do you want it?" he said, holding out the brown organ attached to his hand.

Vergil instinctively took a step back, unconsciously thinking the vile thing might jump out of the demon's hand and grab him. He stopped short of unsheathing Yamato, curiosity piqued by the demon's ease around him. The demon looked at the organ, moving his hand to examine it.

"I didn't think it would attach like this. Not the most attractive."

"What is it?"

The demon grinned, revealing rows of sharp, yellow teeth, too many it seemed for a mouth that small. It looked like a shark grinning.

"It controls that," he said, pointing his head towards the hole. "I've always been amazed how one item can control so much. All I needed to do was make a host for it. Killed a rather large demon to get this heart."

"Why destroy the demon world?"

"Would you like to hear my theories as to what it is?"

"No," Vergil said, gripping the hilt of Yamato.

"Wait, let me speak. I have an offer for you," the demon said, his arms up in a defense position.

Vergil's fingers remained on the sword but he did not move to draw it. The demon smiled its shark smile and continued.

"It is suffering. Pure misery and pain and all those other dreadful emotions. Technically, it does not exist on its own physically, but when you give a body, it becomes something. I speculate two things. Either it is a byproduct of human suffering, like a pool catching the excess, or…" he held up a finger. "It is leftovers from when god created the universe. Maybe, it didn't get the combination quite right the first time and had too much. Or maybe, he created the world several times and it is the remnants of another world before ours."

Vergil unsheathed Yamato. "I'm going to need to kill you."

"Wait, wait, wait. I still have that offer. You'll have all the power you ever wanted and you can save the woman and your brother," he backed up slowly, hands still raised in defense.

Vergil narrowed his eyes, approaching the demon slowly.

"I feel everything I've infected. So to continue, I was never a powerful demon, always controlled by masters," the demon's lip curled in a snarl. "I always hated how it was just raw power that dictated everything. Constantly fighting and killing and the same devils just switching positions; it is pure chaos. So I decided on a different method. Something so dreadful that every demon would fear it. Even Mundus is hiding right now. They can't stop it because all they can do is fight with swords and claws. Pathetic. Now they run from me, the infection, and it is marvelous. Me, a lower level demon, controls the entire underworld."

"What do want?"

"You're rather impatient for being the smart one. Unless I got you and your brother mixed up. You are Vergil, correct? The evil twin?"

Vergil said nothing.

"I thought so. When doing this, I didn't take into account that there are half-demons. You see, it only infects demons and they're the only ones I can control. Partial demons take longer and by the time the infection takes hold in their brains, they are useless to control. So, either I can infect you which will do me no good since you will kill me before you become weak, or I can do nothing and you will kill me any way, or…I can make a deal."

Vergil's mind raced through the possibilities. "Go on."

"I will give you control over it. Ultimate power over the demon world, and the human world if you choose. What do you say? Not even Mundus could stop you."

Vergil imagined Mundus bowing at his feet. No one would be able to stand against him, human or demon; he would be nearly godlike. Moreover, no one could touch his family so long as he was there. The promise of power beckoned him: a seductive mistress calling him to bed. Desire tugged at him, and he felt as if he would snatch the dreadful organ straight from the demon's hand. He wanted to feel the power radiate throughout him, a feeling he so sorely missed.

"Why would you give it up?" he asked, less out of suspicion and more out of genuine curiosity.

The demon smiled, his eyes becoming wistful as he stared at the hole spewing forth the infection.

"This is my work of art: my masterpiece. You will kill me regardless, but at least it will remain," he said softly. He held out his hand again. "Take it. It's yours. You have at last earned that power you so desperately sought your entire life."

Vergil clenched and unclenched his fist; it ached with the urge to grab the offering. Tentatively, he reached out and touched it; the brown skin was slimy and cold. The organ shifted from his hand as if shocked.

"How do I…?"

"Only the hand comes off, not the source," the demon said. He looked into the demon's eyes; they stared back like dead, black orbs.

Behind Vergil, Dante stumbled into the tunnel. He doubled over and spat out a wad of blood, clutching his torso. His face was covered in red and black sores. Using the wall for support, he looked around the room, eyes landing on Vergil and the demon.

"Vergil, kill him!"

Vergil raised Yamato and brought it down on the smiling demon's arm, severing it. In one hand, Vergil clutched the organ and severed arm as the demon fell at his feet, bleeding. The organ sucked its giant arteries attached to the arm back into itself, and the arm fell to the floor next to the quietly chuckling demon.

Between his hands, Vergil clutched the pulsing organ. With every heartbeat, he could feel the breadth of the infection as if he were standing at the source. Every demon's soul was attached to his own as if they were all connected by a giant web, and it grew with every second. Around him, he could feel it stretching and he the heart of it all. The heartbeats seemed to push him further and further down, until his mind was filled with the darkness of the suffering, and his memories shattered like brittle glass.

He expected the rush of power to be warm, like an intense energy that would pulse through him filling every muscle fiber with the surety of strength. Instead it was cold, dead, and his body trembled as if he had been lowered into the waters of the artic.

His ears were bombarded with a sound, a voice calling him in the distance. Looking around, the world seemed to bend and stretch, distorting the image. He shook his head and looked at his brother, realizing that Dante was the one calling, his mouth opening and closing as he yelled at him.

Vergil took a step forward, and Dante seemed further away. He could feel his brother's infection growing, the way it pulsed through his veins, digging itself deeper and deeper into his flesh and tissue. Despite feeling Dante's infection as if it were his own, the distance between them seemed so insurmountable. He was alone.

He cringed as the organ extended an artery into his wrist. Blood seeped from the wound.

"I need this. The power. I'm not weak any more Dante," he yelled.

Another artery extended into him, drawing him deeper and deeper into the dark source. He cried out as it seared through his arm and into his heart.

"No one can stop me! I'm the powerful one now," he cried out as the organ attached to him again. "No one will ever take anything away from me again!"

A cold ache spread from the organ, and into the rest of his body. He watched Dante weakly try to raise his sword, screaming something he was unable to hear. Vergil fell to his knees, shaking uncontrollably. Demons screamed again and again in his head, as his body seemed to stretch into eternity.

He closed his eyes and within his mind he saw a single flicker of light that was slowly fading: Evangeline dying far away on Earth, disappearing from this world. The infection already had overtaken her body completely.

"I can't," he whispered.

##############

Trish watched out the window, silently. Below, demons milled around aimlessly, crying out and disappearing into dust before being replaced by more. They were like an endless army. Evangeline let in a strangled gasp, and did not exhale. Trish rushed over to the bed.

"Evangeline," she shook her. "Evangeline!"

She brought her fist down on Evangeline's sternum and began pumping it into her chest. Her eyes stared lifelessly at the ceiling as her body was shaken again and again. Trish leaned over and placed her mouth over Evangeline's, breathing out and filling the dying girl's lungs.

"Trish! Be quiet!" Lady hissed. The sound of demon's feet pounding up the stairs arrived at the door and stopped outside. They slammed into the door again and again, moving the dresser back. Lady aimed her gun at the door as the demon's shattered it into splinters and fired.

############

Dante dropped his sword and stumbled over to his crouched brother. Vergil clutched the brown organ in his hand, mumbling incoherently. He placed his hands on his shoulder, and coughed, sputtering up blood.

"Vergil, you need to let go," he said into his ear.

Vergil tilted his head, hearing a voice in the distance. The single flame flickered once before disappearing and he was empty. All the shattered pieces of memory reformed and the single image of her peering through the bars of her cell, green eyes defiant to the world.

_I am the captain of my spirit, I am the master of my soul._

The cold ebbed away from him and he began to ascend from the black pit. He opened his eyes, rising to his feet again. The organ pulsed faster and faster and he felt its distress. He tightened his grip around it, seeing defiant eyes. His fingers dug into the soft flesh, blood gushing around his fingertips. As if someone were gripping his own heart, he felt the pain. With a cry, he pushed deeper and pulled his apart, ripping the organ in two.

Blood spilled down his front and the two halves crumbled into nothingness. From the hole came an unearthly scream that ripped its way through the world and the shackles that tied him to it broke. Then, there was nothing.

They stood in an empty cave, no trace of the hole or its vile contents. Dante looked at his hand, clear of any blemish. Vergil walked over to the entrance of the cave which overlooked the demon world. It was barren and silent; the blasted landscape of dirt and rock had appeared again. Only the wind stirred, picking up bits of dirt rather than the black dust.

"Vergil?" Dante said.

"It's gone," Vergil said, glancing over his shoulder.

"You had me worried I would have to kill you." Dante clasped his brother on the shoulder.

"It looks like I saved the world this time."

"Do it about three more times and then you will be as badass as me," Dante laughed. Vergil grabbed his brother's wrist and turned around.

"I wasn't in time. I think she's dead," he said.

##############

Lady fired a round into a shocked demon. It stood baffled, looking around as if it had no idea how it had arrived in that place. The demon examined its hands free of infection then it looked at Lady and growled, rushing at her. She fired again and it died at her feet, a pile of sand.

She looked at Trish who sat on top of Evangeline, desperately trying to start her heart. Trish looked at Lady, her eyes wide with fear though Evangeline's flesh was clear of the red and black lesions.

############

Evangeline covered her eyes with her arms as oblivion rushed towards her. It was completely silent save for the sound of her breathing.

"You can open your eyes."

Evangeline lowered her hands at the order of the sweet voice.

"Trish?" she said to the blonde woman. The woman only smiled, small crow's feet forming around the corners of her eyes.

Evangeline shook her head. "No, not Trish."

"It's time to wake up now," she said. The woman placed her hands lightly on Evangeline's shoulders and pushed. Evangeline fell backwards, tumbling again into darkness.

"And Persephone would make a wonderful name," the woman called as she fell.

Evangeline opened her eyes, blinking in the bright lights. She groaned and tried push her aching body to sit up. Her arms met resistance, and she looked at the tubes and wires hanging from them. Looking around, she saw beeping medical equipment and a white curtain.

"The hell…" she said and tore some of the tubes from her arm before falling back against the pillow. She breathed in, her chest aching.

The curtain opened to reveal blue eyes and white hair.

"Nurse!" Dante called.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, leaning over the bed.

"I don't want you. Where's Vergil?" she snapped.

"Nice to see you too."

"What happened?" she asked.

"We saved the day and Trish saved you. She kept doing CPR until your heart started again. You've been sleeping for two weeks now. They said it was massive internal trauma," Dante answered.

A nurse walked in pink scrubs. She looked at Dante then down at her chart.

"Which one are you?"

"I'm the brother," he said.

"The skinny one is the husband and the fat one is the brother," said a woman in a white lab coat who had entered behind the nurse. Dante snorted.

The doctor walked over to Evangeline, shined a light in her eyes, and checked her pulse.

"How do you feel?"

"Like shit,' Evangeline said.

"Then you're doing a lot better than I expected you would Mrs. Sparda. I'll go get your husband. We finally convinced him to sleep on a cot in the doctor's lounge rather than in the bed with you," the doctor said before leaving. The nurse smiled at her quickly before leaving.

"I'm not married," Evangeline called out.

"Don't say that. We needed an identity for you. And that nurse has been looking like she is going to explode with something she wants to tell you," Dante said, staring after the nurse.

"I don't know what's happening," Evangeline said, placing a hand over her face.

"Well, I went out with Lady. She thought you were going to die so she agreed to."

"Dante, I really don't care at the moment."

He laughed and placed a hand over hers. "I'm glad you lived. It means Vergil won't lose it, and I have to admit you've really helped him."

She lowered her hand. "What do you mean?"

"I'll let him tell you about it."

Evangeline sighed and rubbed her eyes, her head woozy. There was a clatter from the hallway and the sound of boots entering. She opened her eyes and felt her heart leap into her throat. Vergil rushed to her side his face emotionless, but his eyes full of relief. He leaned over and gently kissed her forehead. She placed her hand on his face, feeling his warm skin. He smiled and grasped her hand, and for a moment words were unnecessary.

"I missed you," he said.

"I kind of missed me too," she replied. He smiled again and kissed her.

"Well if you two are done," the doctor said. She glared at Dante and he stood up to leave.

"And I'm not fat," he said as he exited.

"I have good news mostly. It seems that you are making a full recovery. To be truthful, I was expecting you to die. Severe internal bleeding, severe trauma, brain hemorrhaging, the list goes on. There is some abnormal pigmentation in your eyes, but your rather diligent family explained it was normal. But, you will be just fine and can probably leave within a few days," the doctor said, her stern eyes narrowed. The nurse at her side continued to smile.

"Good. I'm hungry," Evangeline said, feeling her stomach rumble.

"Just a moment. We ran some blood work and…" she turned to the nurse. "I know you have been dying to tell them."

The nurse's smile stretched from ear to ear. "I ran the blood work and you're pregnant!"

Evangeline felt the world grind to a screeching halt and could practically hear Vergil's jaw drop. The moment of rejoice from their reunion was replaced with confusion and shock.

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No. I am not pregnant. I haven't had any…Oh, wait," she said.

"What?" Vergil asked.

"Before I got sick I was queasy, but only for a day and a half," she said to the doctor as if pleading would make it go away.

"I just ran the blood work, I don't control what symptoms you have or if you are aware enough to notice them. It looks like you are about two months along. To be completely honest, with what happened to you that baby should not have lived. There's a strong heartbeat, and I am baffled. That baby was determined to live, but I can't garauntee there won't be any complications later on," the doctor said. She looked at the silent pair and clicked her tongue. "I'll leave you two alone for a minute."

Vergil and Evangeline sat in silence for a moment before she slapped Vergil's arm.

"What was that for?"

"This is your fault. Why didn't you use protection?" she said. She placed her hand over her belly, briefly wondering if she could feel the baby's heartbeat.

"It takes two people to make a baby and why didn't you?" he said, glaring. "Besides, this is a good thing, isn't it? Don't most women want to be mothers?"

"How is it a good thing? I can't raise a child, your certainly can't. This is a little person that we have to raise, not a sword that all you need to do is polish and keep nice. We need an income and house and we can't run around anymore."

She sighed. He climbed into the hospital bed next her, extending his long legs next to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. The gravity of situation seemed to weigh on her.

"This child is already growing," he said. "Perhaps it is meant to be."

"What if it has horns?"

"It won't have horns."

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "This is really a shock after waking up. First I died, and then I'm pregnant."

Her mind flashed briefly back to the woman in the darkness, Vergil's mother, and her words echoed in her ears.

"Do you really think we can do this? We're not even married," she said.

Vergil kissed the side of her head. "I think we can, but the kid might be a little strange."

"I'm going to get fat."

"Actually, you seem very sexy now that you are carrying my child," he said.

She smiled. "That's just weird."

"As for the married part, I don't really think it suits us."

She nodded. "I agree. We should just tell everyone we are."

Vergil tilted her face towards him and kissed her deeply on the lips.

"Don't ever die again," he whispered firmly, his lips still close.

"I don't plan to."

He placed his hand over her belly, a feeling of content passing over him. He tried to imagine what his child would look like, whether he would have his eyes or his mother's.

She tilted her head, stretching her neck. "I could really use a cigarette."

"You can't smoke with the baby."

"Now that just sucks."

They sat in silence for a moment, listening to the sound of the hospital going about its business outside the door.

"Vergil, going to hell was the best thing that ever happened to me," Evangeline said.

"It was the best thing that ever happened to you." He said monotone. "I can't believe I am actually going to start a family. It seems so…normal."

"I don't think our lives are ever going to be normal," Evangeline said.

Dante walked into the room, hands in his pocket, looking as though he had just interrupted something important.

"Hey, family. I hate to interrupt, but there are some demons we need to take care of. You know, remainders from the portals. Lady said we can get paid," he said.

Vergil looked at Evangeline, expectantly. She smiled and leaned back.

"Go on. We need the money," she said.

Vergil climbed from the bed and kissed her briefly. "I love you."

"We can tell them later," she whispered in his ear.

Vergil left with his brother, waving to her from the door before disappearing into the hallway. Evangeline sighed and patted her belly.

"You are going to have one hell of life ahead of you," she said.

No response from the baby. She sighed and closed her eyes.

Outside, Vergil thought about the recent events and small smile cracked his stony features, but a small worry grew in him as he wondered what trials his child would face in a world full of demons.

###############

The demon world was empty, a literal land of the dead. Out of the ruins of his realm, a demon rose, spreading its wings across the desolate land; the unchallenged ruler of his domain. Three glowing orbs searched in the distance for his armies: the word "Sparda" echoed in his mind and on his lips, a cry heard through the underworld.

* * *

_**I am thinking about continuing from this in another story with Vergil, Evangeline, and the child. Let me know if you would like to read more and whether this would be a good idea. I'm not quite sure what people want to read. Thank you to everyone. Peace!**_


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